We’ve had a stay indoors at holiday home day today.  I am proud to say I didn’t even get out of my pj’s.  I love that sort of day at home so it was actually nicer on holiday where there aren’t the other things you could be doing.

I slept really late, had breakfast for lunch then read, crocheted and Wii’d that afternoon away.

Want to see what I’ve been crocheting?

Alicerecently shared her tutorial for a potholder based around the African flower motif and I really wanted to give it a go.  Can you believe I’ve never made an African flower before?  It may become a firm favourite!  Alice combined this motif with her mandala pattern (which I am also yet to try) which she then backed with a plain flat circle and a pretty edge to make a gorgeous, multi coloured pot holder.

It’s a great pattern and really straightforward and quick!  I am really enjoying making this first one and will probably make quite a few more before long.

Oh, I did venture outdoors to take pictures of the sheep today, but only to the front door step:

The good things about coming on holiday to somewhere you’ve been before is that there’s virtually no settling in time.  Within minutes of getting here yesterday it was as if we live hear (I wish!!!) and I already felt relaxed and settled.

I was so tired I went to bed at 10pm, which is really not like me, but I certainly needed it.  Unfortunately though I didn’t sleep very well and got  up in the night an had a prowl around, as I often do at home.  I go through phases of not sleeping well and waking in the night.  Rather than toss and turn I prefer to get up and have a cup of tea, do a bit of crochet and watch some night time tv (the latter leaving a lot to be desired!!!)

So tea and crochet at 4am!  Rather than start anything new I carried on with the circles scarf which I am really enjoying for the pattern, the yarn and the finished effect.  I have now completed 3 full rows and this morning I took advantage of the daylight and beautiful outdoors to take some pictures.

We’ve had a very lazy day today, as was always the plan.  From tomorrow we’ll get out and about and enjoy the area, but staying cosy and comfy at indoors is one of my very favourite pastimes!

And here’s today’s sheep shot!

This evening I am getting packed because tomorrow we’re off on our jolly hols – a much needed break after the trials of the past few months.

And the most important packing of all….

See you on the other side, tomorrow when we’re arrived, and I’ll tell you all about it!!

PS my website host has been down all evening and has only just come back online, at 11.45pm!  Phew!  Managed not to miss a Blogtoberfest day!

I feel very naughty to be posting this so late after I actually finished the project, but I guess that’s no reason not to!

Over the summer I started using the Rowan Amy Butler yarn I bought with my Hobbycraft winnings.  Just before I received the vouchers I’d bought just a couple of balls, as it’s not cheap, but I went back for more and had plenty to make this one cushion and I plan to make its twin soon.

The yarn is Rowan Belle Organic DK, 50% Organic wool and 50% Organic Cotton.  The shades I used are:

• 005 Basil
• 012 Tomato
• 013 Moonflower
• 015 Slate (the name and shade on Rowan website indicate this is a grey, but the yarn I used is more purple – so maybe some sort of mix up on labels!)
• 017 Zinc

I used a standard granny square pattern for the body of the cushion and both sides are the same.  I wanted the cover to be removable so on one side I made two rows of double crochet (UK) and on the second of those rows made evenly spaced chain loops as button holes:

On the other side I then made two rows of double crochet along one edge (which the buttons would be sewn onto):

I then put the two sides together and made two double crochet around the remaining 3 edges:

Then I changed colour and completed another double crochet row around the remaining 3 sides and across the plain edge (without the buttonhole loops) and :

I did attempt a picot edge, of sorts, but it added too much of a frill to the edge so i took it off again.  I liked the pink trim but not the effect this additional trim created:

Then it was on with the buttons:

Et voila!  A granny cushion:

This afternoon I had a good catch up with a good friend who is a fellow Crocheteer and a new blogger! 

Over a cup of tea and some jaffa cakes we did some html tinkering (doesn’t everyone?) and shared details of our latest crochet yarns and projects.  Ah, perfect afternoon!

And she had a fab present for me, a seasonal present no less:

So here’s an undulterated plug for her new website: Hairballs and Hatstands!

This morning I awoke at an embarrassingly early hour. 5.00am to be precise, and that’s not like me. You see, I’m a real night owl. I believe my natural sleep pattern is from about 2.00am – 10.00am. This does not fit well with a standard 9-5 job, so I do try to be in bed by about midnight, and last night I wasn’t much later than that.

So why was I awake to early today? I have no idea other than the fact that I have a lot going on at the moment and my head is all a-spin with it.

There was however a plus side. I had breakfast at home while watching the news (I love the news by the way – in fact I write this while listening to the Comprehensive spending Review here in the UK on the radio – we will all know our financial fate by the end of this!). After breakfast I still had an hour before I even needed to get ready for work. The best thing to do in that hour was crochet! Well, I couldn’t do anything noisy at 7am and disturb my neighbours, could I?

I had already started the first strip of my circles scarf and I was able to get that finished. Don’t you love the way the colours blend into one another and mix and match along the length of this strip and within each circle. Brilliant and simple.  Each circle doesn’t lie as flat as I would have liked, but I will give it a press and hopefully it will be a bit better.  

The pattern itself is deceptively simple.  Its basically just a shell pattern at intervals along a chain, and then the same on the other side of the chain. 

I have no intention of making early starts a regular thing.  In fact I am hoping it doesn’t become a habit – it’s not one I would like to have.  I am always stunned when people tell me the things they manage to do before coming to work each day – hanging washing out, cleaning the floor, making lunches.  Even more impressive are those who manage to get themselves AND kids out on time.  I can just get myself out.

Ah well, roll on bed time!