A Moody start to the year...

So I have kept to my word, and the only crafting I have focused on is my Crochet mood blanket, both last years and this years.
As some of my strips of squares on last years blanket were too long, I needed to come up with a plan. I decided on some mini squares, they should fill in the gaps nicely and still keep in style with the rest of the blanket.

They work up nice and quickly, I outline them in white to match their larger counterparts and slot them in the gap

I'm very happy with the outcome, and I can't wait to have it completed. Not only because its quite fiddly just sewing in ends and joining, but I can't wait to see the finished article.

Meanwhile, each day I have completed a mood flower. I can't believe I have managed to stick to doing one everyday. I'm sure there will be busier periods that I won't manage to, but I have no plans, or expectations for this blanket, I will let it grow and take shape and develop as the year goes on.

I love these little flowers, 3 different colours in each, and they link on to their neighbouring flower

I just need to make sure that I continue sewing the ends in as I go, as leaving them would result in a massive chore.

This is how they looked after 1 week

It's going to be a pleasure to watch this one grow

mini squares in the spotlight...

So true to my word, my mini-squares cushion has been completed and getting its moment if glory in the spotlight

With the joining complete, ends sewn in and a coloured trim all that the cushion needed were some colourful mini buttons to complement the mini squares.

The following day we had a brief spell of sunshine, giving me an opportunity to photograph the cushion, to show it off at its best. As our flat doesn't have many bright spots I ventured outside like a mad lady armed with my camera, cushion and mini blanket to protect from the damp and went to the little green spot around the back of our flat. I had my cushion on concrete bricks,

                                                                     grass

and balanced on bushes.

Ideally it would have looked Lovely laid out on a pretty bed of pastel flowers, but hey you can only work with what you've got!

I also started my friends beanie.

Well I say started, I actually mean started and nearly finished!

Now I'll admit to being a very slow crocheter, as I work in a very cack-handed way (the same way as I knitted) but its comfortable for me, just means I get jealous of those who have blankets flying off their hook. But the hat has been quite a delight to make, although working with a dark grey instead of an array of colours did take me out of my comfort zone!

It required a 5mm hook and although its only 1mm bigger than what i'm used to using it felt pretty enormous!  Having done the swatch previously it meant I could just glide through the rounds. I still had to concentrate, as its all to easy to keep going round without noticing where the start of a new row begins. I believe the band has turned out a little tight, but I will wait till she tries it on in case she'd like some extra rows added, seeing as I have plenty of yarn left.

Whilst browsing through images on Pinterest (don't you just love that place, I could get lost for hours on there) I remember seeing quite a few rainbow granny stripes, so I thought I'd do my own for this weeks mood square. Mid week was when hubby was due for his knee operation (a torn muscle to be fixed and excess tissue to be removed) and the day went as smoothly as it possibly could.  He came home that evening and i've been playing nursie since. I'd taken a few days off to be with him and keep the home ticking over but at the weekend was back to work, so juggling work, caring, shopping, cooking and household chores.  I decided on different colour stripes surrounded by a pale grey for this weeks square, as it has been a week of mixed emotions.

Mini squares appearance...

This week I have picked up another wip (work in progress)
Remember my mini squares cushion, well looking back through the archives, it seems I haven't touched this one since March!

So close to finishing the joining I got bored, and it's sat here forlornly next to me, patiently waiting for some love and attention again. Now the time has come, and ive kicked back into action.

The joining is now complete, and all of those pesky ends have been sewn in. I've also made a start with a coloured border.

This now just needs the front and back putting together and the little buttons for fastening, and it will be ready for its very own ta dah moment, and I promise not to abandon it again until it has had it's moment of glory!

Only a little bit of stickyness took place this week.

I moved onto a larger sized heart box, and with new bright spotty napkins I'd  purchased

I worked on the base, although i'm disappointed that I can still see through it, so will have to try another layer

The top of the box is a squishy satin, so I don't really want to cover it in paper and glue.

I'm thinking of trying a piece of openwork crochet to sit over the top. Initially I tried to find a heart pattern, but not really found anything I liked or open enough. So, I might try a mandala, or just go for it freeform? The problem will be how to attatch the piece to the box, and still have the lid fit its base. But that's for playtime in the future...

I took a little trip to Hobbycraft one evening. Hubby was at a hospital appointment (a health check before next weeks knee operation :-/ ) I went specifically for some holly to go on my little heart box. Time flew by as I browsed at leisure and I got lost in my own little crafty world! Hubby wondered where I'd got to in the end, oops! I am good at being quite restrained at these places, just as well really, so I came out with just 3 little packets (well they were 3 for 2) and a plain muslin bag to play with at a later date.
I think these little goodies will be great to decorate future makes...

A friend has asked me to make her a Beanie hat. This will be another new thing for me to try. I've been given a pattern book, with a couple of favourites bookmarked.

Straight away, in my eagerness, I read through the pattern to see if I could understand everything, and I ended up doing a test piece, as it was easier to get to grips with the stitch by having it physically in your hands.

My test piece, has now been turned into this weeks mood square!

I'm loving how much meaning this blanket will hold. Not just multi-coloured, textured pieces of yarn, but summing up how i've felt throughout the year, a memory blanket using my mother-in-laws yarn, and a learning tool, trying out different stitches and patterns.