2021: A Year in Crochet

What a year, eh.

I had quietly planned to try and make something once a month but I don’t really know if it worked out. I did lose my crojo for some time and only found it again in December with the pigs in blankets pattern. I have lots of plans and patterns ready for next year – I feel a good making year coming on.

So what did I make this year? Here goes…

Some mini bunting made with embroidery floss, for work: 

No pattern, just did it freehand.

A blanket to go over the storage trunk:

Pattern: Attic24 Trellis Stripe (link)

A pair of socks for D, made to match the blanket to go over the storage trunk:

Pattern: Hooked on Tilly Life (no longer exists but I have a copy if anyone wants it) 

A pair of socks for me, to match the socks for D, to match the blanket to go over the storage trunk: 

Pattern as above

A pair of stripy yoga socks to match my socks…: 

Freehand, no pattern

An orange sock, that I really need to make the second one of: 

Pattern: Hooked on Tilly Life

Bernie Sanders:

Pattern: Tobey Time Crochet (link)

A blanket for Momma P:

Pattern: Daisy Farm Crafts (link)

Gonks! Three in fact: 

Pattern: Etsy PamPino (link)

Cotton cloths, an easy mindless make but they’re v useful around the house: 

Pattern: freehand

Pigs in blankets x8: 

Pattern: A Good Right Hook (link)

A little hat for Arnold the Owl and a scarf for my fox vase, made with wool leftover from stripy socks: 

Pattern: From the Gonk 

A peen or two for Twitter friends: 

Pattern: Not Your Nanas Yarnwork (link)

Blankets for cats (yes I have become that crocheter now):

Freehand, no pattern 

Covid viruses x4 because I am silly: 

Pattern: Ravelry (link)

A hedgehog, made from a picture drawn by my youngest nephew: 

Freehand, no pattern.

A huge stash buster blanket that has ended up being 9ft wide (!!!!!!!!!!!) and I doubt I will ever finish because I don’t enjoy it:

Freehand, no pattern 

A bobble hat: 

Freehand, no pattern

Little pumpkins, I make these every year: 

Pattern: Originally from Ravelry some years ago

I also started making some woollen wrist warmers but ran out of wool on the second one, ordered more wool, it arrived two weeks later, and I’d ordered the wrong colour: 

Freehand, no pattern

I also also started making a cute little teddy that I saw on instagram, supposedly it fits in the palm of your hand. Well I started to make it and the head is HUGE so I quickly put that away and haven’t finished it: 

Pattern: Some instagram post somewhere but I'll never finish this so no matter

 

And I think that’s it! We did move house halfway through the year and I’ve been suffering with the morbs a fair bit too, so I’ve not done badly. 19 makes ain’t bad going, but it isn’t my most prolific year. I think I am getting more selective over what I make. I do fancy making a woollen blanket next year – I tend to use acrylic yarn for everything but I do fancy a proper woollen blankie.

So ideas for next year:

Blanket

Orange sock x1

More seasonal items, either to sell or to decorate the house

Take more commissions to get some pocket money (yeah! Send me your ideas!)

Bunting to be hung in the kitchen because I think it’ll look well nice

I also fancy having a go at making myself a jumper. I started a hoodie some years ago but I made the back panel and decided I didn’t like it, so it’s still sat there in my wip pile, never to be finished. Also I’ve put on so much weight since then that it’d require more than one expansion panel to make it fit. So that’s never gonna happen.

 

Not crochet, but is crochet related – I also made a start on balling up the hanks of vintage cotton I was given earlier this year. What a pain in the proverbial nads. Only 149 more hanks to go!

Brummagem or Bust: 25 Years!

Decided on a whim that I would post daily blog entries, directly copy & pasted from the diaries I typed up. Every word written is by Momma P. I'll try and include relevant photos from the day too. This will be a daily entry until the middle of August so I hope you enjoy me being all sentimental and gushy. Some of it is very matter-of-fact, some of it is more wordy, but it's 100% what Momma wrote.

Living in Saudi was a big part of my life and I honestly do miss it every damn day. Every day. 

So - 

Thursday 30^th May 1996

Start 9:15am after three hours packing. Taif 800km.

Dave Friday came with us 100km. Took us 1hr to do 43k as we had to find a garage with air pump! Permission to travel says cross border on 31^st May! No chance. Only Taif by then, then onto Tabuk, then Haditha to cross. Probably Sunday morning hopefully.

Stopped at 11 for wee & water at a gas station. Left 11:40.

One horse town – Main street, mosque, a couple of car repair shops!

11:57. Taif 671k.

Strange mud flow hills to right of road. Taif 530k.

Flat plains with lots of green scrub. Loads of camels & shoats (clicky for wiki). Villas in back of nowhere – can’t see what livelihood people have here apart from camels.

3:20pm. Toilet stop at SASCO garage, family restaurant so we had chicken & rice, water, 4 teas – full of sugar and with bonny evap!, sprite for kids – 4 bottles, all cost 36SR!

3:45pm. Left this houses of delicacies; I sat in the back and Richard in front to give him a break from Lauras chatter! (Have I packed my jewellery?)

Laura in front. Emily and Richard enjoying themselves singing to her Walkman – one ear plug each!

4 o’clock. 454k to Taif.

Large obvious river bed, mud & puddles, must have been an amazing sight when full. Lots of hills, starting to climb now – I know this as my feet are swelling. 438k.

The road is fenced, no chance yet to look for a campsite.

5:30. Just passed a junction and noticed that the fence is no longer there so we have decided to halt now for the night in case we can’t get off the road! We shall not pitch the tent; just use the beds and mattresses.

7o/c. I’m writing this – all else scouring the desert for wood.

We shall have sausage & egg, or burgers. Emily is having chicken cup soup.

Did not eat – still full from c&r. Bed by 9. Awake again at 10.10 due to lorries thundering past on the road.

Lockdown v3: Day 62

I am officially deciding that this is the last day of daily lockdown blogging. It’s been interesting (and challenging) blogging my mundane lockdown life. Some days I feel like nothing has been accomplished but actually, I’ve done quite well.

Today:

Allotment! David has started laying the slabs for the shed base but we’ve worked out that I need about another £70 of sand. We also had to take up the membrane that I’d so carefully put down as there is a change in slope of about 7 inches from one side to the other, which would’ve used up more sand. So we’ve piled dirt underneath the membrane and raked it out to try and raise the ground level a bit. Still need more sand though.

David has come up with another idea for the shed base but it is going to cost about £80 in timber, maybe more. Either way, I am going to be spending a lot of money on the shed base. And I haven’t even priced up a shed yet.

I have finished my first sock for me. I am not sure if I like it but I am sure that I have lost my crojo, and therefore the second sock is not going to be made anytime soon.

Still waiting for daffs in the garden to open.

I went full flamingo today. Socks, t shirt, under jumper, over jumper, handbag, water bottle, shoes.

Exercise: allotment

Dinner: stir fry

Lockdown v3: Day 61

Allotment again today. Momma P and I have marked out where the shed, water butts, & polytunnel are going, laid out the weed membrane, and then carried the polytunnel frame up from Plot 31. It is now fixed in place with all the pegs and legs, and the cover is on. We also built two raised beds in it – I wanted raised beds in my polytunnel but it didn’t quite happen last year. Yes I know they’re wonky, no I don’t really care. The carrots won’t mind when they’re growing.

My old plot has been re-let already. I hope they're not expecting it to come with raised beds, garlic, almond tree, flower bulbs, compost bins...

Sock is progressing well, I have nearly finished the first one. I have decided to use all of the ball of orange and see how tall I can make the ankle before doing the cuff.

The tulip basket out the front is coming into bud.

I saw Ms Fluffkins today. She has most definitely not forgiven me for moving out.

Ran a bath today and got in it, had to get out again as it was far too hot. Had to lie on the bed for half an hour while my pulse calmed down and the water cooled.

Exercise: allotment

Dinner: pizza