Crochet - First Granny Squares

I started to learn to crochet just after Christmas and started a blanket - just stripe after stripe , after a few weeks I realised I was putting off carrying on with it as it had become monotonous.

After looking at other blogs I decided to try Granny Squares - It has taken me two weeks of trying and failing and trying and failing - I was just about to throw the whole lot through the window when it started to come together.

Here are my new squares and one part started for "The Blanket - Part Deux".

I hope they join together ok as they look a bit wobbly but thats a challenge for the future - I really look forward to my crochet now each night as I watch TV.

Anyway must go - I have to list some of our old things on ebay as I have blown the budget a bit this week !!!

We've bought an old cast iron fireplace for our bedroom and have to fetch that on Friday - I've bought some crochet patterns, workbox tin, old sewing box filled with sewing stuff and a new sewing box - none of which has been delivered yet.

I'm hoping they come tomorrow when Hubby is at work !!!

Will show you them when they arrive - but of course "I've had them for ages !!!"

Lovely Laura Ashley Bargains

As promised yesterday - here are my Laura Ashley bargains.

We popped out on Friday into a nearby town, mainly to look in TK Maxx but they have a Laura Ashley right by it so of course I couldnt pass by.

I wandered round looking for bargains as with my budget LA normal prices are out of the question.

At the back of the store was a blue plastic bin so of course I had to have a look.

It was full of lots of pieces of fabric that had been detached from one of their sample books, with a sign on the box saying 50p each !!

I ransacked the box for all the best ones - I think I only left three behind.


My camera does not really show up the colours that great but I have loads of really nice pieces.

They are all about a metre by 60cm.

Lovely polka dots, ginghams, florals, checks......


Even some oilcloth !!!


I just have to decide what to do with it now - I only spent nine pounds so I dont think thats bad at all - though the budget is not going too well - have bought antique fireplace for bedroom renovation and workbox tin so far this week.

Awards, Thank you, and a hint of a Laura Ashley Bargain !

I have been so lucky to meet so many new friends since I started my blog.

I cant believe it has only been a couple of months since I first began - I am still learning so much.

I still dont know how to put pictures in my sidebar and I would love to have my text in the middle and pictures on both sides !!!


Over the last couple of weeks I have been given some awards and Ludabelle kindly gave me a lot yesterday that she had received.

I am supposed to pass them on but as I am the newbie on the block I know that so many of you already have them and with time being precious to you all - I know that thought it is so lovely to know that you have been thought off it can give you a guilt trip about not replying.

So to all my lovely friends please if you havent got one of these - please consider yourself tagged with an award.


Thanks again to everyone who has sent me an award.

I will be posting tomorrow about my lovely Laura Ashley bargains !!!!

I'm just off to sort and iron them - thats a big clue.

Cath Kidston New Range !!! Yippee

Just a quick post girlies to let you know I've been on CK website and its new with the new range !!!!

Can't post any more got to browse

See you tomorrow - here goes the budgeting....................

Message For Everyone Having A Tough Time

I rescued this picture from up the loft today. I had thought about it lots since reading so many of your blogs where times are hard - with illness, finances, redundancies etc.

My Nan bought me this when we first got married and it hung in my kitchen for 13 years until we moved - it is so faded and steam damaged but I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

My Nan died 8 years ago and I still miss her every day as she was a "rock" - I think that generation who had bought kids up during the war whilst husbands were missing all tend to be the same.

Anyway - back to the reason for posting it - its called Don't Quit and because its so faded I'll repeat it here.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are ow, but the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As everyone of us, sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won, had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never know how close you are
It may be near, though it seems so far

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worse, that you must not quit.

I hope you like it, feel free to use it - it doesn't give any copyright or an author - I've always planned to turn it into an embroidery or sampler of some sort.

Hope it helps get you all through.

Sara
XX

Fabric, Crochet, Budgeting

These lovely new fabrics arrived today. It is a seller on eBay that I hadn't used before but she is reasonable and posted first class next day - which is brilliant as I get very over excited whenever I order anything.

Ive got no idea what I am going to use them for but loved the Shabby Chic roses - it reminded me of CK.







I know a lot of you lovely bloggy people have been considering learning crochet and asking which books are best.

I have started teaching myself since Christmas and though I found the set from Hobbycraft useful (see earlier blogs) I received this a few days ago and its brilliant.

It is so simply laid out and has simple items in as well.

I bought this with a Ladybird Knots book for 99p. They came as a pair and I was going to re list the knots book but the boys have found lots of fishing knots in there so it has been hidden away with the fishing books.




I decided to sit down today and do a budget planner - its something I have avoided for about - well - all my life !!

I have included everything and was surprised to find that someone has obviously been stealing my money as I should have a bit left every month. It couldn't possibly be my crafting,charity shops, antiques markets, magazine, fabric, book, wool and button habit - could it?

I am really going to try and be a very good girl from now on - I am allowing 130 pound a week for food, kids activities, petrol and other expenses and if I have any left I am going to spend half and save half . That's the theory...

SO I will maybe blog about it as I try to stick to it - it sounds achievable - doesn't it?

I am going to start a savings jar for my Kitchen Aid Mixer - I have had one on my Amazon wish list for four years and I'm determined I'm going to have one this year.

Its my birthday in March, so I am going to ask for money and I have a load of books to sell on eBay - I might create one of those thermometer thingies that they have in churches for the roof fund.

Any ideas for fundraising ??

New Books - Green Crafts For Children and more

My new book arrived off Ebay today. Ellie and I saw this in Hobbycraft on Christmas Eve but couldnt really afford to get it so I've been looking out for it on ebay ever since.



There are some great projects in there and it has inspired me so I dont think its just for children.

Also whats really great for us lot is there is a lot of CK used in the styling of the photos.








This project is about making puppets out of old t shirts.

You can get Jersey T shirts so cheap in charity shops so I will be looking out for some in great designs - I only normally buy cotton to use in my projects and have left some great t shirts on the rack.














I love these fairy pictures - notice the CK star fabric on the lamp - lovely - might just have to paint a lamp base red after seeing this picture.














I love these beautiful pebble stones - can't help thinking that they look a lot like CK cottage.

Andrew took the kids out for a bracing walk over the Christmas hols and said it was ok till Ellie started filling the rucksack with all the great pebbles she found ready to complete these.

It was this picture that we really loved when we looked at the book on Christmas Eve.




I'll post some pictures of our crafts - I'm hoping we might get chance to do some together on Saturday if the boys go fishing.



Also decided to pop to Laura Ashley this morning as we put red gingham under the glass on our coffee table for Christmas to make it look more festive - I've kept it for a while but it does look a bit out of place so I decided to get some of the natural to replace it with.

Whilst at the checkout I noticed the new catalogue is out !! Yippee

I love to look through the catalogue and dream about what I would have if I won the lottery - they have some great new fabrics and a beautiful new rose bedding that is very Cath Kidston.

I'm off now to have a really good look through my new books !!

Thanks for all your comments on the last post - my blue project is coming on nicely but it isnt quite ready for its catwalk just yet.