In bloom....

Good day lovely people. I'm in such a happy place right now, 

for the summer sun has finally arrived! 

Yes indeedy, I am sitting here at my desk composing this post & listening to some wonderful dinner jazz from Helen Mayhew at Jazz FM. Intermittently staring out of the window, watching the light diminish minute by minute. 

The piece playing right at this moment is a beautiful, somewhat heart wrenching acoustic version of the Beatles classic 'Here, There & Everywhere', by Ralph Towner. I confess I have a wee lump in my throat as I type. What a perfect soundtrack to a summer's evening it has turned out to be.

And joy of joys, I may even get some outside hooky time this weekend. I think I have a long overdue date with a picnic blanket, a hook and some yarn, down by the river side. 

The Sweet Williams on display in my home this week inspired me to attempt my very own floral motif. I've been happily hooking away on what I would like to call my 'Maisie' flower. 

It's a fairly easy pattern that I created through a bit of trial and error. I think it's kinda cute, and has a very simple joining method. With the added bonus of very few yarn tails to deal with. I'd be happy to write up a tutorial if there's enough interest. 

It would make a lovely centre piece or runner for a table. I haven't blocked them yet, not sure whether to bother as I quite like these colourful little discs with a ruffled petal edge. To block or not to block, that is the question?

I know I say this often, but I really do 

appreciate the time you take out of your 

busy lives to visit me here. 

Every comment is read, and 

is received with gratitude. 

You really are a lovely bunch!

Happy Fourth of July to all who are celebrating!!

See you soon 

x x x x x x

New yarn, new ideas, new inspiration

Happy Friday 

Dear Readers 

x x 

I'm happy to report all is well here at 'Annie's Place', Wimbledon is in full swing and I've got everything crossed Mr Murray can pull something out of the bag this time around. Young Laura Robson is through too, which can only be a good thing for British Tennis. Here's hoping......

I've had a most welcome arrival on my doorstep this week, some new yarn to play with!! My little box of delights contained some softfun from Scheepjes. It's a 60% Cotton / 40% Acrylic mix, which as the name suggests gives a very soft, snuggly texture. It comes in a range of colours, I'd definitely like to sample the full palette! I have a few ideas whirring round my head, one of which is a fairly simple circle in a square motif. I'm thinking of writing up a tutorial for those who may want to try it?! 

I've made real strives recently to get out and about, breathe some fresh air and stretch my legs. It's  been immensely beneficial in many ways. I've been led by the proverb 'seek and ye shall find', and boy have I found some beautiful places on my travels. I promised myself I would become better acquainted with the local area I grew up in, and I've not been disappointed. 

The Three Locks at Stoke Hammond is a lovely spot. Situated on the Grand Union Canal, it offers visitors the opportunity to see a fully functioning 3 tier lock system in operation, with the added bonus of having a lovely pub restaurant right next door. Dating back to the early 1900's, it's full of character and is the perfect setting for a meal or drink with family and friends.

And look what just happened to be ascending the locks the day I visited. This lovely vessel adorned with pretty flowers. I nervously watched as it negotiated each flight, slowly slowly making it's way to the top. Traversing this canal must take nerves of steel, there wasn't much room for this barge I can tell you! 

Before I go I just wanted to mention these cute little note cards from Abacus, I picked up on a recent trip to a local garden centre. Yes, garden centres seem to sell everything these days! As some of you already know I have a fetish for cute cards and gift wrap, and these are no exception. I just love the photography on these. I can't tell you how much I wish I owned those shelves and everything on them!! Very country chic don't you think? 

Right, better scoot Andy will be 

walking onto Centre Court soon, 

can't miss it.....!

till next time

x x x x 

Reasons to be cheerful

As you all know I'm pretty crazy for all things crochet! My pile of wips is ever increasing, and the instant gratification I get when I see everything stacked up together is immense. Layer upon layer of hooky heaven. Ahhhhhh, so satisfying. 

I feel a real sense of achievement, knowing I've managed to create something that will hopefully be enjoyed for many many years to come. Something my family can keep that has been lovingly made by me, and that will be around long after I've gone. I know that sounds a little morbid, but isn't it lovely to be able to leave something so personal behind, every stitch painstakingly worked? I think so.

In actual fact I was asked by a very sweet lady whom I had a chance meeting with earlier this week 'what do you do with all the crochet you make?'. My answer was simple. 'It just covers my home, making me happy!' 

The lady I speak of is Kate, the proprietor of the very lovely shop you see pictured above Matilda Bay. I was having a mooch around one of my most favourite villages Woburn, yet another chocolate box place in the heart of Bedfordshire full to bursting with lovely things to see and places to visit. You may well have heard of the Abbey or the Safari Park, two of the many fantastic attractions in this picturesque Georgian village. 

Kate will be celebrating quite a milestone in September this year, her 20th Anniversary since the shop first opened it's doors. She has a very enviable position right on the Market Place, and her store is filled to the rafters with gifts to suit everyone's budget.  

As soon as I walked in I was met with a smile, and the array of goodies on display was a feast for the eyes. I browsed a while, both upstairs and down. See, there's a lovely spiral staircase to the rear of the shop that leads down to a basement where you will find lots more treats to tempt you.

She even stocks some of the Cinnamon Aitch notebooks that I spoke 

about in my post here, back at the start of the year.

She was kind enough to allow me to take some snaps of her wares for the blog, (albeit very surprised that I'd want to) and I told her of my love of crafting, in particular crochet. She was very warm and happy to chat for a few moments between customers. As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there, and came away with not one, but two gorgeous new scarves. I seldom treat myself, but I just couldn't resist the urge to take them home with me! They are a must have accessory after all, right? So why not pop in and see all that Kate has to offer! You won't be disappointed.....  

It definitely gave me a reason to be cheerful....

back soon

x x x x x x x x  

Colour Junky

As I look out of my window here in my little corner of England today, the wind is blowing quite ferociously through the trees and the clouds are grey and menacing. This is supposed to be Summer right? If it weren't for my ability to escape into a basket full of happy coloured yarn, I'm sure I would feel quite miserable. Talk about an instant mood enhancer! A few hours spent immersed in my own hooky world does wonders  for me you know?!! Hands up who's with me on that?

I've been SO overwhelmed by the response I've had this last week to my solid 'Willow' block project. All the fantastic feedback has given me a real boost of confidence, reassuring me that I should continue to experiment with new ideas, so I thank you ALL for that! And with that in mind, I'd also like to WELCOME all my new readers who've recently found 'Annie's Place'. I'm so happy to have you here, and hope you enjoy all my creative ramblings?!!

As you can see I've moved on with crocheting my squares together. Nothing complicated, just a very simple double crochet seam. I really do want to look at more advanced techniques for attaching blocks together, but for now I'm quite satisfied with this easy, and neat result. Being self-taught I tend to stick to my tried and tested methods, but will endeavour to step outside my comfort zone at some point soon and try some more intricate methods.  

Prior to the inclement weather of recent days, we did have a few decent sunny spells. I've lived in Bedfordshire my entire life and am ashamed to say I really don't know this beautiful county as well as I should. There are so many hidden gems in this part of the East, I'm determined to explore. 

I think you do take forgranted what's on your own doorstep. I'm certainly seeing things from a different perspective now I'm older. I've always been a lover of landscapes, and we have some beautiful scenery only a few miles out of town. The British countryside is definitely the jewel in our crown.

Don't you think this makes for a rather lovely setting? 

Taking riverside walks at Willington is one of my favourite things to do. When I'm at the spot you see pictured above, I can't help but think of The Waltons. I could just imagine Elizabeth, Ben, or Jim-Bob messing around in the water there. As a child I dreamt of visiting Walton's Mountain. I will get there one day!  Maybe some of you reading this can relate, or perhaps even reside in that beautiful part of the world? 

Let's hope the rain we have today makes 

way for some glorious sunshine, especially 

as Wimbledon is nearly upon us!

Anyone for Tennis?

x x x x x

Solid 'Willow' Crochet Block How-To

Hello lovely people, thank you for being so generous with your comments on my last post. I know the Jan Eaton 'Willow' Block is a firm favourite for a lot of the seasoned crocheters amongst you, so it's lovely to hear that my simple adaptation of this pattern into a solid block version has proved popular. I'm sure many of you would find it super easy to interpret what I've done just by looking at the pictures I posted, but for those who've asked I've put together a very basic tutorial. 

The main body of the pattern can be found on page 106 of the block directory, in the book 200 crochet blocks for blankets, throws and afghans. Jan's pattern has the centre motif openly framed by four rounds of crochet, but I've chosen to encase the centre motif in just 2 rounds, with no visible gaps.

You can choose any number of colour combinations, but I've decided to use one colour for the whole centre motif and another for the border. I think it works really well. So here goes; I'm working on a 3.5mm hook with 100% cotton yarn. Once you've followed the first 5 rounds of Jan's pattern from the book you can choose to either fasten off and join a new colour (like I have), or carry on with the same colour to completion.

It really is a very simple concept, so I hope you find these instructions easy to follow. As with my Happy Flower Tutorial, I must point out I'm by no means an authority on writing up crochet patterns, so forgive any mistakes you may find, but by all means let me know about them should you spot any. 

Just click on the pics for a more detailed view

UK Terms

There you have it, 

see I told you it was easy!!!

Happy Hooking

x x x 

Bank holiday bliss

Very rarely do we get good weather on a UK Bank Holiday weekend, so when I awoke to glorious sunshine on Saturday morning, it filled me with optimism. Nothing concrete was planned, which is always the way I like it. It would be fair to say that I prefer to let things happen spontaneously. I tend to act on impulse a lot of the time, something that my family would definitely say is an irksome trait of mine. My mum would often remark 'you do take notions Sharron'. Well yes it's true, I do. But hey, that's me and at my age I doubt I'll change any time soon.

Time spent with family & friends and plenty of good food featured highly over the last 3 days. We went to the Kite Festival held at a popular local park. It was very busy especially the beer tent, with plenty of attractions to keep everyone amused. I particularly liked the old fashioned Ferris Wheel, each carriage brightly painted.  

Aside from the outdoor pursuits, it was perfect conditions for some hooky time. Do you like my latest colour crush project? As per usual I've taken a Jan Eaton pattern, and added my own twist. This is the lovely 'Willow' block. I followed the first 5 rounds, then improvised my own two rounds to make it into a solid square. I plan on crocheting them together once I've got a decent stack of them. 

My oh my do I love this vibrant cotton yarn. Some Catania, some Sublime Egyptian, I just can't get enough of it. I've been pretty good though you know? I haven't bought any new yarn for ages *polishes halo*. Hence why most of the projects you'll see are made from the same stash. I am tempted mind, especially when I see amazing projects online like this & this, you can see why I'd be desperate to replenish my stocks with a more subdued palette!

Until then, I'll just have to sit at my desk and salivate. 

Is there such a thing as Y.A. (Yarn-a-holics Anonymous)? 

I think I might need to seek therapy.....! :)

x x x x x 

Out of the loop

After an enforced absence from the internet, normal service is now resumed. Goodness me, have I missed this place! To think only six short months ago blogging was just a fleeting idea, and here I am now well and truly enveloped in it. I've missed visiting you all, and will endeavour to catch up with everybody's news as soon as I can. Funny how you can feel completely out of the loop, after only a few weeks offline.

I'm celebrating a mini milestone of sorts, I've reached 100,000 page views since my blogging journey began back in November. I'm really rather chuffed that so many people have taken the time to pop over for a wee look. Can't wait to get well and truly stuck in again,  there are lots of crafty pursuits on the agenda. I've just picked up my hook again recently. I started to seriously worry whether I could remember how to crochet, after my brief hiatus! I know, stupid eh? I can't tell you how good it feels to be a happy hooker once again! 

I'm looking forward to sharing some colourful crochet with you in my next post. But for now I'd like to share some snaps I took down at the riverside. Between the clouds and showers, we've had some welcome sunny intervals, so I donned my comfy converse to stroll along the pretty embankment. I just love living by this river. The floral displays on show this time of year really are breathtaking. 

There's always plenty going on along this lovely stretch of the River Ouse. I especially love watching the rowing. A regatta was held here last weekend, but sadly the weather was horrendous. Torrential downpours, even hail was thrown in for good measure. I felt for the young men and women taking part.

I see these youngsters rowing up and down, and I often wonder if I could be watching the next Olympic champion in the making? Another Etienne Stott maybe!?

Well, it's just a quick hello from me for now. 

I shall be back in a few days no doubt, with some hooky updates. 

Hope you're all well, and have a great start to the new week

x x x x x x