Moley Makes ...

Blog Followers

Jan 122012

Hello there. It’s just a very quick post today to let any of you know who DO NOT use Blogger that Google will be retiring Google Friend Connect from 1 March 2012. This means that if you use Typepad, WordPress or any other blogging platform and you currently have a Google Follow Me button then it is not going to work after that date.

I’ve only just found out from Hilary of Craft Blog UK. You can read her post by visiting here. It seems they want to get you to use the new Google+ Hang Out and Circles to keep in touch and build a community there. Anyhow, I’m following Hilary’s lead and have joined Bloglovin’. I’m not too sure how many blogs I follow are on there already. One thing for sure is that there are probably a whole host of wonderful crafty blogs waiting to be discovered. So if you’re already on Bloglovin’ why not join me on there.

New Online Crafty Fun

SIBOL Swaps

Jan 102012

Hello again my dears. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving your wonderful comments on my last post. You’ll all be pleased to hear that I’ve finally shooed away my bug ….. straight to my hubby. Yes, well I’m always very generous with my germs Oh and before you all cry out “Man Flu” he doesn’t suffer from that at all. He usually shakes anything off within 24-36 hours. I get knocked down like a bunch of skittles and takes me forever to bounce back …..grrrrrr!

It was while I was wallowing that I signed up for a couple of New Year crafty sign-ups. The first is 2012 Monthly Makes run by Annie from The Felt Fairy. Annie ran a similar campaign last year but I gave it a miss. This year though, I thought I’d take part as I want to either complete a small project every month and/or work consistently towards a larger project. By signing up, it’ll help keep me on track. If you haven’t signed up yet and want to make the pledge, then you can click on the 2012 Monthly Make image or by clicking on this link.

My second is a new swap for this year. I’ve signed up for LaaLaa’s Blanket Squares Swap 2012. It’s being run by the lovely Lynda from Hookin’ With LaaLaa. It’s a UK only swap but the idea is that we send knitted/crochet squares to the participants and we then make up our own friendship blanket. Again, there’s more details on Lynda’s blog, the post can be found here. Swap entrants must sign up by Thursday 26 January, so don’t leave it too late to join.

Finally, I’ve joined the Crochet a block a month in 2012 group on Ravelry. This is a crochet-a-long lasting all year and is a great way of using up some acrylic yarn in my stash. Plus it’s a fun way of discovering new 12″ and 6″ crochet squares.

Phew! I think that’s going to keep me busy this year. Have you signed up yet for any online crafty fun this year? If so, do share.

Till next time, keep on doing the crafty happy dance

Lurgyfied

Crochet, Knitting

Jan 052012

Hello my dears how are you all. I do hope you’re not suffering with winter ailments. If you are, you have my sympathies, as I have nursed some awful winter virus, since before Christmas. I won’t bore you with details, but I’ve felt pretty rotten. Just when I think I’ve seen the last of it, it comes back. I just can’t seem to shake the blasted thing off!! It’s like a boomerang!!

I must admit, it’s the perfect excuse for just sitting down with some yarn and hooks n sticks. I’ve been working on a pair of socks for my daughter.

Tiger Socks

As you can see, I prefer to knit 2 socks at a time, that way there’s no dreaded ‘second sock syndrome’. I’ve turned the heel and I’m working on the foot part, so it won’t take me long to finish.

I’ve also been crocheting some squares for the ‘Vintage Square Throw’. As some of you may know, this is the throw that is included in the Art of Crochet partwork. I’ve not been keeping up to date with the throw and as the first dozen or so squares were my first attempts at crochet, well, they weren’t too brilliant. As expected, my tension has changed, I also know what I’m doing stitchwise. So whilst I’ve been lurgyfied, I unpicked them all and started again. This time, however, I am substituting some of the squares. Over on Facebook, there is an Art of Crochet group which I’ve joined. A lot of the members have done a similar thing, whereby they’ve altered the squares with cross stitching/embroidery . Quite frankly, it is very awkward to cross stitch over trebles (US double crochet). The finished patterns don’t sit properly as trebles are tall stitches. They would’ve looked better worked over double crochet as this is more of a square stitch.

Here are my first 6 revised squares

The original squares were 13cm (5″ winking square, but as I’m using some of Jan Eaton squares which are 15cm (6″ winking , I’m having to bump them all up to the larger size. I just hope that the free yarn will stretch to cover the extra dimensions.

Till next time when hopefully I’ll have rid myself of this bug once and for all.

Keep on crafting xx

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These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things

Green & Black's Organic chocolate, Rice DK, Earl Grey tea, freshly ironed line-dried sheets, snuggling up with my hubby, girly days out with my daughter, Ikea, Parma Violets, Baileys, scent of freshly cut grass, cream teas, Pip Studio, glass of red wine, babies laughing, autumn days, Agatha Christie, watching costume dramas, Cath Kidston, elderflower cordial, crochet and knitting for friends 'n' family, fresh cockles washed down with Koppaberg Pear Cider, walking along the Embankment on a warm, summer's night; Nissan Figaro, sound and smell of the sea, Emma Bridgewater, classic Hollywood movies, sitting around the dinner table as a family, laughing out loud, watching the world go by, little children singing, my two sons trying to outwit each other, daydreaming, dancing around the room to my iPod when nobody's watching.