The Flower Bed Japanese Style!

I can't tell you how much I have been enjoying crocheting those pretty flowers.  

They are so so quick to make up and the size with my aran yarn and just a 4.50mm hook is already 6 inches across.  you could easily use a 5mm or a 6mm hook if you wanted them bigger than that.

So many of us have been enthralled by the variations of these flowers that we have started our very own flower blanket crochet-a-long. We aim to crochet a blanket together - big or small in whichever flower motif you choose.

We would love as many of you as possible to contribute and if you would like to be able to post to the blog yourself you need to contact one of the admin (Suz, Hazel or myself) with your email address. Full instructions are on the site.

Here it is:

THE FLOWER BED

Everyone is welcome, beginners and advanced.  If you've never crocheted before, we would like to help :)

If you don't want to join the CAL please feel free to follow the blog to see our progress as the project takes off.  I'll be posting how many flowers I have done, the variation of flower that I am using and any other details on the site shortly. Feel free to post on your blog to let anyone that might like to join know we exist.

Hope to see you there.

Rachael Xx

Japanese Flowers

I'm sure you already know about these lovely Japanese flowers and have probably seen loads of gorgeous blog posts of these pretty things but I'm showing you mine anyway.

After reading Lucy's (attic24) post over over on ravelry and seeing Suz wonderful version I really wanted to have a go. A day or so later, the  lovely Hazel from quietly stitching got me more intrigued about this flowery motif as their bigger size is quite appealing to me at the moment. I made mine with a more solid centre as I liked the look of it more.

They are completed so quickly and look so pretty. The only thing with mine is that the colours in this yarn are quite limited so not that many brights are available to me.  I have ordered some turquoise though as nothing looks right to me without a bit of turquoise or aqua :) The turquoise motif below is made in cotton yarn ( I had to make one in this colour, I couldn't resist) the rest are in pure wool.

I've made several more since taking these pictures earlier today and hope that I can make enough to make a kingsize (uk) bed throw for when my bedroom is decorated later this year.  The only problem is that once you start making these flowers, you become addicted. Just one more I keep telling myself.  I'm supposed to be completing my flowery spring scarf tutorial, making squares for Sarah London's appeal ( I have  done a few but want to make at least 20) and still finishing off more cushions and other wips.

Right well I'd better go as I really want to show you that scarf tutorial so I'll just do one more flower........

Winners!

It has been some time since I began my very first give away and now today is the day!

Remember these...

Just to recap, we have - one Pip Studio plate, Homes and Gardens Magazine, A Cath Kidston Keyring, a Plump Pincushion and a cute bag to put it all in.

Well we have a winner!

Congratulations to..... Hazel from Quietly Stitching you have won the main prize as featured above (the bag isn't showing but you get that too)   :)

Now I had so many comments from so many lovely people that I decided that just one runner up wasn't enough so we went back to the random number generator and selected another 8!

Well done to all of you listed below, you have won one of the plump pincushions each - yay!

Kandi from http://kandipandi.blogspot.com
Millie from http://milliemeadowsweet.blogspot.com
Annie from http://thefeltfairyuk.blogspot.com
Maaike from http://crejjtion.blogspot.com
Marg from http://sunshineparadiseplease.blogspot.com
Twyla and Lindsey from http://twocrazycrafters.blogspot.com
Solstitches from http://asamplerofstitches.blogspot.com
Loo from http://jumblesandpompoms.blogspot.com

In order to get your prize, please email your postal address to me (email button is on the top right hand corner of this blog) together with your choice of pin cushion colours. I'll post everything out to you as soon as possible (depends on the colours chosen and if I have the right ones currently available although I am not adverse to ordering more hehe!)

For those of you that did not win this time, do not despair because I will be having another give away very soon indeed.  Perhaps some Cath Kidston this time?  If you have a preference, let me know.

I'll be back in a few days with my new Flowery Spring Scarf + Tutorial. Rachael Xx

I'm a lucky girl!

I've been very lucky because.....

I found these really cute bits and pieces whilst shopping this week.  They have a whole range in Wilco and everything is really cute. The little drawers are perfect for all those craft bits and bobs.

I managed to finish 24 felt hearts with crochet edges to make bunting!

they are different colour combinations, all plain this time but I am thinking of doing more with some extra decoration or pictures on them - what do you think?

I am going to add a string to them so that there are 12 hearts on each string.

I was also very lucky winning the great give away over at manda's challenges - look what I got!  What a lovely prize.  I am going to use some of the yarn towards some granny squares for the Sarah London - Crochet a Rainbow Appeal.

It doesn't stop there as just when I thought about how lucky I had been, I had a message from Loo over at jumbles and pompoms who told me I'd just won a prize on her give away too - wow! I couldn't believe it.  The books are lovely and there were even a few chocolate coins in there too (they lasted all of 5 seconds after I opened the parcel hehe)

I was so excited

Please do pop on over to their blogs and have a look

On another subject, I did hope to have some sewing to show you, in particular the fabric cushion backs for crochet cushions as I had figured out how I wanted to do it. The problem is that my sewing machine had other ideas and after several hours of trying to sort out the tension, the motor locked - arrgh!  Anyway it's off to the menders next week and I will get that tutorial done as soon as I can.

I've  started a new flowery scarf tutorial instead and hope to get that on here one day next week so keep an eye out for that as I'm already half way through. 

Also there is just today and tomorrow left to enter my give away if you like to win those goodies.

Finally just for the cute factor, here are a few pictures of my kittens. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Rachael Xx