Builder's Crochet

Well for a crochet nerd like myself I have had a rather exciting week.  First I took delivery of some builder's plumb-line in some interesting colours...

..and then I managed to track down some jute garden twine (harder to find than I thought)...

Nope I'm not planning on building a wall and trailing some clematis up it, these are in fact the ingredients for my next project in the Happy Hooker Backwards project!  And what fun I am having crocheting with such a different material than I am used to.  True my hands are getting rough and smell like B&Q, and I have flecks of twine over most of clothes and soft furnishings, but oooh such excitement!

It's working up nice and fast too so hopefully I will have a finished result to share with you all soon.

Thanks for the lovely comments on my crocheted iPod cover, I am in the process of writing up my rather haphazard pattern to share here, might take me a wee while longer though, pattern writing is not my fastest skill :)

I shall leave you in anticipation now, I do hope you UK readers are enjoying all this sunshine (unless you are like me and love a bit of autumnal drizzle...)

:)

Happy Hooker Backwards Project #37

When I was hit (like a ton of bricks) with post-natal depression I shelved my mission to work my way backwards through the Happy Hooker book for a while until I could once again get my head around the challenge. Then over this past weekend I suddenly felt the need to pick up the book and get on with it...must be a good sign, right?

I am very glad I waited as I had to basically do my own version of this pattern. It rather made my brain hurt...but I got there in the end!

So the fourth project from the back of the book is "Cozy Pod Creatures" by Cynthia Combs, cute little covers for an iPod.  Only one problem: the pattern is for the old style iPod and is based around a vinyl cover for the front...not much good for the new touch-screen iPods and phones.  So with quite a lot of counting, a fair bit of light swearing and a lot of unravelling (the yarn and me) I eventually managed to come up with my own altered version. 

I kept the front open to allow for full access to the touch screen.

Taking inspiration from the original pattern I embellished my iPod cover into a a little cat. It is is definitely cute...

I left no access for earphones as I currently listen to all music via my iPod speakers at home.  I may have to rethink this for when I start commuting again so I can show off my iPod cover whilst listening to the Craftypod podcasts on the train :)

All in all a very cute little project and very quick too (once I had worked it out I had the whole thing completed in an afternoon in between feeding times, school runs and playing peek-a-boo.)  Another plus of this project is it is small and therefore cheap to do!  Here's the breakdown:

• Cost - about 50p - I reckon I used less than an 8th of a 100g ball.
• Yarn - Wendy Serenity luxury cotton DK. First time I've used this and I am now addicted! Such a lovely yarn :)
• Hook - 3mm
• Difficulty - Well for me it was a right bugger to do, but now I have it worked out I think my next go at it will be very easy indeed.
• Overall happiness with finished object - for the fourth time in four projects I am...delighted!

As I had to completely rewrite the pattern and only used the original in the end for inspiration I think I can quite happily share my version with you, so as soon as I have had time to write it up and take accompanying photos I shall :) 

Right now Lillia is at a friend's to play and Phoebe is with her granny for the afternoon, so I shall be making a cuppa and scrolling through some crafty blogs on my very cosy iPod :)

Monkey madness

Hello hello! And how are you enjoying all this delicious rain, hmm?  Just right for me, warm and rainy...perfect. 

Things here in the Snipsnaphappy household are Busy (note the capital B).  But fear not, I have still found the time to get some lovely things hooked up!  When I made this little fellow for Mr Snipsnaphappy's birthday earlier this year I knew that more would inevitably follow, the pattern is, after all, so simple and fun and I'm a simple kind of gal.

This time around I had a little help beside me as I hooked away, Phoebe is by my side chilling out with her fat little legs kicking away...

With her help I finally managed to finish the latest pair of monkeys, resplendent in girly pink this time...

These two girls are currently in a box (with airholes of course) on their way to their new owners, who I hope will love them.  I very nearly kept them, it was hard to let go!  If you are looking for a first arigurumi pattern this one really is worth a go, it's really easy to follow and good fun to do.  It was my first one and I really enjoyed it.

In non-making news I have been unbelieveably absorbed in daily family life.  Plus I have been into hopsital for my drug treatment to bring my ulcerative colitis under control.  I did take a picture of the IV line into my arm to share with you but then I had a moment of clarity and suddenly realised that it would be a bit..well..a bit eeew.  So far so good on that front, getting slowly better :)

And in making news I have more to share!  I am back on my Happy Hooker Backwards mission, oh yes!  I am very excited to share with you my next project as I actually had to modify the pattern so much I ended up writing my own!  My very own crochet pattern!  Tune in here tomorrow for more...

Rocks and flowers

I just wanted to share with you some lovely sunny pictures taken over the weekend.  With Mr Snipsnaphappy away on a stag weekend (axe throwing and whisky drinking) the girls and I decamped to my mum's house with it's large sunny back garden, and of course the extra pair of hands offered by Granny!

There is something about bright flowers on a backdrop of stones on a hot day, I just can't resist taking photos of them...

I even got a chance (ok about five minutes) to put my tootsies up and browse through the latest Ideal Home magazine.  I like to play my own personal game of "When I Have My Forever House I Will...." when browsing through interiors magazines.  In this case When I Have My Forever House I Will have a guest room that looks very much like this...

*sigh* How lovely :)

Not so sunny the last couple of days of course, but that's fine with me, I do love a bit of rain. Half term is now over, Lillia is back at school & we are on the last leg of the school year...lots of change and transition afoot this year...

R.I.P My Favourite Jeans

It was inevitable.  My most favourite jeans ever have finally given up the ghost.  The denim had worn so thin it had become impossible to continue to sew the holes that kept appearing.

*sigh*

There was no way they were to be consigned to the bin, that would have been far too environmentally unsound and those jeans and me have been through far too much together to part company forever. No. The only option was to find a new purpose for them.  Thank goodness for Very Purple Person and her Reversible Bag pattern...

My favourite jeans ever and I are now enjoying a whole new lease of life together!

The contrast fabric is a wonderfully sturdy organic and fairtrade cotton from this fabulous UK company.  I added my little wooden tags too...

My new bag is my new favourite and, rather like my old most favourite jeans (ever), we are having lots of adventures together :)