London Mummy

Playing with props

Really simple stocking fillers, or Christmas decorations even, depending on how you use them :)

Linen squares + applique stars + lavender = understated & simple.

 

Indian Summer - loving it!

Oh how lovely is it to have the warmth and sunshine back!

Yesterday I sat outside in the garden and worked a little more on my crochet paintbox blanket, the pleasure of sitting in the sunshine somewhat marred by the ever present sound of the concrete breaker a few doors down - still we must enjoy this bonus sunshine whilst we can and it's really not a bad way to work :)

 

In the end, I settled on twelve different coloured squares, which I've stitched together - I couldn't figure out a way to join these ones as I went, but twelve isn't really so bad to do.  

I've decided to go down the baby blanket route with this one as the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn just lends itself so beautifully, being so lovely and soft.

I've done a couple of rounds of my border but now need to ponder how best to finish it off - I'm leaning towards picking a few colours to add to the border and then perhaps finishing it off with some shell edging - but we shall see.

Have a lovely weekend - may the sun continue to smile on you.

 

Getting my crochet groove back

 
After a bit of a hiatus from crochet the onset of autumn finds me once more reaching for my number 4 hook.

I'm planning on making another blanket for home and possibly some baby ones for the shop using my stash of the gorgeous Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino yarn.  I call these squares my paintbox squares as the sold blocks of colour put me in mind of a child's paintbox.

 
I've got a total of 28 different colours at the moment but feel I need to add a little more from the pink/purple spectrum as I seem to have rather a few different shades of blue and green for some reason - or is that just an excuse to go yarn shopping!

The plan is to use lots of cream between the squares so that the colours really stand out, something similar to my paintbox squares cushions but making the squares a little larger, five rounds instead of three.  The edging I'm sure will evolve.

 
I do find making these squares relaxing, no fiddly changing the colour and quick enough to do to satisfy my somewhat impatient nature :)  Whilst we don't tend to watch an awful lot of tv in this house, it is rather nice to have a little project on the go whilst watching something, which doesn't demand too much concentration and therefore doesn't make me feel that I'm wasting my time watching the box when I should be doing something productive instead.

Still, given that Livvy's afghan  comprised 120 squares and took an age to make, we'll see if I still feel the same way in a few weeks time .......    

Paper Play + Ikea

 
Just give me some gorgeous papers, glue, ikea storage boxes and I'm a very happy bunny!

Spring Kitchen

There's nothing like a little glimpse of Spring sunshine to give you the urge for a bit of re-organising.  These shelves, which I built years ago, were originally in Livvy's room holding just some of her mountain of a library.  But since building these babies into the attic void in her room, my homemade shelves were ready for a new home.

Years ago, when we originally refurbished the kitchen, that wall had deep blue cupboards and a plate rack - somewhere I have non-digital photos which I will dig out and scan, someday, but if felt heavy on that wall and the slots for the plate rack were a nightmare to try and clean plus, I wanted a much lighter, more open feel.

I love my new, old shelf it's so handy for unloading the dishwasher just below and I love the white LED Ikea light string which is also practical as there are currently no ceiling lights owing to a badly leaking roof!  I just wound the lights round the shelving unit a few times and secured them with white-tack - so simple and so pretty at night too.

At the far left I fitted an old Ikea square cubby cupboard, it originally had a blackboard door which I simply removed and painted the carcass white - I think everyone I know bought at least one of these little cupboards!

At this opposite end I'll build and add another little open cupboard and will add a frame to the front of the large shelf as I did with Livvy's new bookshelves which will help disguise the battens I used to fix it to the wall.

I'm thinking a long narrow shelf underneath might be rather useful too .........