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!

Life At The Bonemill

We’ve been in for three months now, and what an expensive three months it has been. We (or at least, I) knew that this house would cost more – I had already worked it out before we moved because it is me who pays the bills. The rent is more also, but we get so much more with this house in terms of peace, peace, peace, peace, space, peace, and a bit of peace. It’s truly lovely here, but this winter is not being financially kind to us, and it’s only just started. Ho hum, onwards we trot. I am hoping that next summer I can build up credit on the electricity account to see us through next winter.

Anyhoo. Financially misery aside (when am I not financially miserable?), we love being here. It really is utterly gorgeous. So quiet, so relaxing, so peaceful, so calming. Coming down the track at the end of the day and rounding the corner before it opens up into the glade with the houses nestled against the cliff on one side, and garden and fields on the other. Utterly blissful.

We went and explored Newport as David wanted to see it. We saw it in around an hour – we would’ve been quicker but we stopped for a toasted teacake and a hot choca with all the trimmings (me obv). A very historical place but it was too cold to stop and read all the blue plaques.

He had toasted teacake and I had scone with jam & cream, and then we swapped half each

The woodstore is now full thanks to a delivery of logs so that should keep us going for a while. Pretty good, considering I can’t afford to run the cooker anymore. We have had a log burner stew and it is a novelty that I intend to continue, so perhaps our gifted le creuset pot will get a lot of use this season. Might as well use the heat from the fire to do some cooking. 

Talking of the cooker, it died at the weekend and we had no oven for four days. Turns out there was a wobbly loose wire in the socket but I phoned the emergency line and they couldn’t help. I borrowed the electric hotplate from work but it was not a fun few days. Which is why I need to get used to log burner cooking, in case we have a power cut. We treated ourselves to a carb-fest in the form of a 'Spoons curry with rice, naan, poppadoms, & chips. 

Log burner stew! On a cooling rack because we don't have a trivet.

The skies when they are clear are full of stars. I suppose the sky is always full of stars, we just can’t usually see ‘em due to smog.

We have invested in a new vacuum and it has instantly increased our quality of life.

Saw an ex (v dead) pygmy shrew in the cave. Pheasants are regular visitors into the garden and we have lots of blackbirds and tits. And buzzards. The cave is getting called lots of things such as "the garage", "the shed", "the outsidey bit", and "the cupboard". 

So yes. Life here is good. Very good. Except the electricity bill is crippling us (me).

Still haven’t eaten any peaches.

Her Maj the Floof does not live with us, but she would like it very much.

A Walk In The Woods

Been on an exploratory bimble around our local woods. Enjoy: