Lots of yarn

Long time, no post again today - sorry folks - I've been really busy with work and college and everything at the minute - I don't remember the last time I had a free evening.

My husband has got involved recently with my crafty-ness and got it into his head that the one thing that he might be able to do to help me was...shopping! He's been scouring eBay to find any bargains. So this week, the excitement has begun (and possibly ended as we don't really have the space or money for much more!!) I came home from work one day near the beginning of the week to find this humongous box waiting for me by the back door.

As always, I was really excited to see what's inside

 Yarn under there

 A whole box full!!! This is amazing!

A few random bits in there, small balls of yarn that's been taken from a bigger ball. A half started pirece that you can see on the top there. There was even a freebie from a magazine at some point. It was pretty cool but I wasn't too excited by this once it had arrived. There seemed to be a lot of bits of nothing particularly useful if I'm honest. I suppose I perhaps shouldn't have expected quite so much from such a large random box.

However yesterday I finally got round to looking through it all properly. Once it was all sorted and I'd seem what there was, it's actually a lot better than I'd first anticipated.

This looks a lot better! And below are the only bit's that I really can't see a use for and therefore unfortunately I think are going to end up in the bin...

Not bad really for such a random and huge box.

I finally got kicked into gear to look through and sort this out yesterday as when we got back from the Armed Forces Day celebrations there was another package waiting for me. This one was absolutely amazing and I was unbelievably excited about it.

The four packets of multicoloured were what arrived yesterday and I had even forgotten about the other mini pack that came even earlier in the week. The first pack was 5 balls of the blue yarn that you can see on the top of here.

Here's a massive treat for you all - I have finally plucked up the courage to include a photo of me. This will be a very rare occasion - possibly never to be repeated so make the most of it...

...are you ready?...

...here goes.

Me all dressed in red white and blue for Armed Forces Day and very proudly holding my new arrival of yarn.

I am so excited - I'm going to make a patchwork style blanket with these. I love the multi-colours and think it'll go really well in my little seat in my craft room. I think I do need to get a few more bits finished first but this will definitely be the next project.

Finally a little bit of catch up for you. Here's the card that I made for both Dad's for Father's Day a couple of weeks ago

And this week I was asked to make a slightly embarrassing card for someone at work's 30th Birthday. I have blurred out the photo's just in case he didn't want to be on the internet but you get the idea.

I have now finished quite a few blankets which I will be donating to the hospital in the next couple of weeks so watch this space for a blog dedicated to them.

Lots of goodies - a big catch up

This week I was extremely lucky as I have received lots and lots of goodies from various people and for various reasons - here goes.

At the beginning of the week there were parcels arrived for both me and Henlow. A lovely lady who my husband works with has been growing lettuce at her allotment so arrived in work at the beginning of the week with 3 huge bags full of lettuce - one for Henlow and two for whoever else wanted them in the office. How lovely is that - Henlow had first pick of the lettuce.

 This looks a pretty good bowl of food to me - Henlow was impressed - it didn't last too long!

My parcel was equally exciting - I had ordered some crochet hooks from a lovely lady who I have seen advertised on Facebook. They came all wrapped up pretty in tissue paper and there was even a chocolate in the envelope!

 The unwrapping - always one of my favourite parts!

 Inside the hooks were all tied together

 So bright and colourful - just what I wanted and I can see come little leaves on the bottom too! I asked for a tortoise as the picture on these or things that might relate to Henlow. I think she did a fab job with the leaves at the bottom and there is also a single sun at the top of each one as well (you can sort of see in these pictures)

 They have my name on (Happy Henlow)!!!!

 And the size of each hook is marked into the bottom. Genius idea!

 I received 8 hooks in total of various sizes - ranging from a 3mm to a whopping 10mm. These have come from Fleabubs (handmade by Lala).

I really love them and they are a lot nicer to hold that the old plastic ones that I had all skinny and flimsy.

 My other postal delivery this week was my monthly Crafty Creative box. I do have to say that I was slightly disappointed with the last box that I received - it just really wasn't at all me. This one however was right up my street. I love it!

 Argh! Sweets and bright colours! I got two of these are cards too so all the better - I think I might have to use one to make a card soon.

 This box also contained: cupcake ribbon

 Ice cream buttons - so cute maybe for a little kids bag or something like that.

 "M" print cabochons - These might have to go on the card when I make it.

 Bag of juicy beads - these do look good enough to eat!

 Tags - always useful - I love decorating cards with these to add a bit of 3D

 A heart shaped cake cutter and recipe from Catherine Dresser (she was one of the contestants on last year's Bake Off)

 Lollipops!!!!! They may well be gone before this afternoon is out.
And three little cake slice charms.

 A fat quarter of Paris Macaroons fabric - any ideas what I could make with this?

 Finally there are these two craft papers - again perfect for a card.

The kit this month was a cross stitch kit with a really pretty little frame. I didn't get any pictures of this but it is again another perfect little kit.

I absolutely love this months box. There isn't a single thing in it that I don't think that I will use.

My final bag of goodies received this week was another bag of wool received from a lady at work. She said that her mum had used to make blankets like the ones that I am making for the hospital and although she can't knit she still wanted to contribute to the cause. These are 4 brand new balls of yarn that she has been out and bought for me.

There are definitely some lovely people in the world. I think my favourite is the stripy multicoloured yarn - I can't wait to knit a blanket with this - it will be perfect for a little person!

Finally I shall share with you my progress with these blankets - the first one is finished - with all of the ends sewn in and everything.

I have started one with the blue and green speckled yarn received this week - I am trying out a pattern knitted from the corner on a diagonal.

 It's almost wide enough to start my decreasing.

 I love the way that the speckly pattern comes out.

I think that's about enough for you for one post - I have been busy making Father's day cards this week as well as working on a couple of other blankets but I think we will have to have an update on these another day. See you soon.

Lost

Lost - generally a good description of my feeling this weekend. It went a little like this. Yesterday was supposed to be (according to the weather forecast I saw anyway) a really lovely hot day. I had great plans - get up when my hubby went to work so that he could put suncream on my back before he went then pretty much spend the rest of the day lounging around with Henlow in the garden.

It was grey and miserable for most of the day so I spent the whole day in my PJs waiting for the sun to come out and catching up on rubbish TV. This did however mean that I had a whole lot of time to crochet and...

...I finished my blanket!!!!!

I love it - it's so pretty and so warm and toasty - it's brilliant and the perfect size for our sofa.

Check it out (please now be ready for loads of photos - I'm a little bit excited!!!)

Did I mention that I love it and think that it's amazing. Brill (as Eleanor would say)!

I am super excited but this does now mean that I am slightly at a loss for what to have in my hands. I have sewn together all of the pieces of my little cardigan that I was making - I did this last week - so now I just have the edging to do - really boring!

Today as I really didn't know what to do (and had had enough of edging) I finally got around to starting to make a baby blanket with some of the wool that I have been given by my lovely colleagues at work. I am quite pleased with this one and love how quick it was to come together. Compared to the blanket I have made for myself this is insane!

I have an ides for another one to use some of the other colours that I have as well so watch this space. I think I will take this one into work tomorrow or at least will have to take a photo to show off to my colleagues how this has turned out. I hope they're pleased with what I have done with their yarn.

I have also this weekend finished watching 24 - we have watched all 8 series in about 2 months - having watched pretty much nothing else during that time. I have also caught up now on all of my naff Saturday night TV that I had recorded. I have no idea what I'm going to watch or make now without my big blanket as a standard that's there whenever I feel like picking it up.

Oooh - I have also made a couple of fathers day cards today for the two Dad's but for obvious reasons won't post the pictures until after next Sunday. Don't forget Father's Day folks!

That's all for now - see you soon. I'm off to enjoy my last few hours of freedom before work and collage start again tomorrow.