Frida's Flower Blanket part 7

It might have taken a little longer than I'd hoped but here is part 7 of the Frida Flower Blanket done! The photos doesn't do it justice - its full of pretty colours.

 

 So now the center is filled the blanket sits much better. All that is left is to go round and edge it.  I will need to find a cool day to do that as the blanket can get pretty warm, which is good as that is its purpose.

 

 I actually really like the back of this one as it looks like a rainbow! However the front is pretty too and with all the other squares it looks grand.

 

With just the edging to do I'm going to have to start thinking about what my next project should be.  I have a massive list but I think a break from crochet might be nice...

Frida's flower blanket part 6

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted on here.  Time has really flown!
There are a few reasons, for instance, after 2 years of being married I finally found the time to get all the photos printed and get them stuck into an album.  It's still not quite finished but much closer than it has been.  

There is also another project we've been working on, but that one will have to wait a bit longer before I can declare it.
But in the background I've continued with my crochet, although at a much slower rate than I had been.  

So as design 8, the final part of the Frida's Flower Blanket, was released this week I finally finished part 6.  Better late than never right.  I think this pattern is my favourite so far and looking at the promo photos its the one that attracted me to the project in the first place.  It's also the biggest needing 6 full squares, which has slowed me down a bit too.

Things are going to be slower on here this summer, but I will still post when I can and I will finish the Frida blanket, after all it is so close now how could I not! 

Frida's Flower Blanket part 5

We're just back from a weeks holiday in Norfolk.  We were so lucky with the weather - sunshine every day and we did lots of walking.  But best of all was the chance to catch up with my crochet.

Nothing can really beat sitting in the morning sunshine working on my crochet, with no rush to be anywhere as the garden we were visiting wasn't open yet.  We had a really lovely trip away and saw lots of birds we don't see at home, for instance bullfinches and a bittern!

And then there was the joy of joining my squares up and finally filling in a corner of the pattern.  I love this square with its lovely big flower and its pretty leaves.  I am so glad I took the plunge to do the Frida's Flower Blanket crochet along.  I'm learning tons and love the finished squares.  Now back to reality.

Frida's Flower Blanket part 4

Part 4 of the Frida flower blanket looked as scary as part 3, until I looked more closely and realised that quite a lot of it was the same.  It's really the central motive which is different.

I do really love these colourful squares, even if they are a little more complexed than the first couple I made.  And the black just sets all the colours off.  Janie Crow obviously know's what she is doing!

As I sat there adding the black to the first of 4 squares it suddenly occurred to me that this square reminds me of the beautiful paint work often found on narrowboats in the UK.  It has the same flower motive and colours set against black that these boats often have.

And as I add each square and my blanket grows, the more excited I get.  I can't wait to see the thing finished, but am also aware that once it is I'll have to find another project to work on.  And while that won't be a problem, I have a massive list of possible next projects, I'll be sad to see this project end.

Basingstoke 5K

Today I ran the Basingstoke 5k for the 4th time.  But its actually my first race in a year, having been hampered by injury and illness, then stopping running for a bit as I started to commute up to London.  
At Easter my company moved offices to just far enough away from Waterloo to create a 2 mile run there and back most days which got me in to pretty good shape for the race.  
And so I came in at 26:26 which matches my other 3 attempts pretty well and shows if I do some more training I can probably knock some time off.
It's good to know the effort I've been putting in has been worth it.

Frida's Flower Blanket part 3

Every time I go to download the next pattern for the Janie Crow Frida Flower Blanket I get all excited.  Each pattern has been so pretty and I love that I can join them as I go, so I can see it grow.

This weeks was no exception, but once downloaded it was a bit scary too.  The third pattern is really pretty, but looks much more complicated than the first two, possibly due to the amount of colour in it.

Janie suggest you make all 4 squares at the same time, so complete a ring on each square before moving on.  This worked really well for me.
So although they look complicated, they were actually really quite straight forward to make and when attached to the other squares look really impressive. 
  

I am so pleased with how the project is progressing, and how well I'm keeping up.  I was worried I'd feel pressure to finish on time each week, but I haven't.  I've still got two to complete as I write this but that's ok.
It's a lovely project to come home to each evening and helps me to unwind.

Crochet cactus

In between making squares for the Frida Blanket I've also been having a go at creating a cactus.  There are two reasons for this. 1. We've just moved into a new office at work and there is a distinct lack of plants or people interested in watering them.  And 2. I wanted something to do while I waited for the next Frida pattern to be released.  

There are 5 cactus to choose from and I think this is my favourite, although that might change when I make the others.  I think its the tiny pink flowers that I love, although they were very fiddly to make.

As you can see below, the thread for creating flowers is much thinner than for the rest of it and while the cactus itself used a 4mm hook, the flowers took a 1.75mm hook!  But although fiddly I am really pleased with the end result.  I'm not sure if anyone at work has worked out it's not real yet.

Frida's Flower Blanket part 2

This week I was working on the second set of squares for Janie Crow's Frida blanket.  A little more complicated than the first square, as expected, so I learnt a couple of new stitches, but that's kind of the point of doing this.

This weeks flower involved learning how to popcorn!  Very straight forward once you know how.  While the pattern needed me to increase and decrease stitches.

But the most exciting thing was starting to join squares together.  Suddenly you can see that they are more than just a square.  You start to get a feeling for how they will sit together.  I am really looking forward to adding more.