Airports

I spend a bit of time at airports. I tend to fly somewhere every other week with the job that pays me enough to spend money on yarn.

I've found out lately that I have 'one of those faces' the one that says "yes, talk to me and tell me your life story or anything that is worrying you". It's fantastic!

In the past couple of weeks I've met a lady who was having problems with her husband because they had to go visit her family rather than them doing the visiting, a man who was going to see the love of his life in Wales, a guy who was a fisherman who recently realised his best friend was his soulmate, and another who knew people I knew through my ex husband.

So here I sit, at the airport, playing with blogger on my iPhone and missing out on chatting..... So I'd better get my crochet out (it's Bruges lace this week) and hear more stories :-)

Catching Up & Child Allergy....

I was trying to catch up with my blog reading this morning and found out that Google Reader is going somewhere so I needed to read my blogs another way.  Luckily others are more 'on to it' than me and have discovered Bloglovin is a good way to go. So I've been and organised myself over there this morning.  If you fancy you can 
Follow my blog with Bloglovin by clicking on that link.

I've been getting prepared to help out with Buddhas birthday celebrations next weekend.  (last year it upset my child allergies). This year I wanted to do something that didn't need too much 'pre-work', and maybe something that meant the children didn't need to hang around at our stall for so long.  So yesterday, with the help of You Tube I taught myself how to finger knit and made this scarf/cowl thing.

Next step in the preparations is to teach my sister since she's my helper for the day and make sure we can show others.  I know that it a nice thing to do,  the child allergy however, is making me a bit anxious....

I'll let you know how it goes :-)

Granny Cardi

I've become inspired and addicted to the Inside Crochet magazine since I came across a copy at the Pukekohe PaperPlus & PostShop.  I gifted myself a subscription and ever since I've been almost running to check the mailbox when I get home.  Not that I'm actually expecting another issue just yet, you just never know though....


I saw a cardi in the December issue that I felt like I needed to give a try.  As usual I got mad with trying to understand the (very) basic pattern, and pulled the whole thing out, and then this Easter weekend I thought I'd give it another go:

Granny square stitches around the yoke

Obviously quite impressed with myself now I've done 2 cardi's I'm thinking a jersey next, or maybe a frock, or a coat, or..... well actually it's another blanket since I've had a request :-)

And the Oscar for Outstanding Hooking goes too.....

I'd like to thank my 3.5mm crochet hook (the smallest I've used so far in my hooking career) 
The gorgeous silk & mohair mix yarn
The various patterns from the 1970's that I looked too for inspiration and guidance 
My family for the constant and very consistent affirmations of "it's the first time you've tried to make something normal, is it for someones child?"

It really is a career highlight for me to have created, not only a cardigan, but one that can be worn out in the wild almost with my head up high (lets not kid ourselves here it's definitely not perfect...) 

And so with no more preamble, let me introduce the very first, the inaugural, the original JacBer Cardi 
Drum roll please........
(please excuse the photos - I was way to excited to pose properly and then have retakes).

The buttons need a bit of work (i.e. some of them are a bit small and keep popping out of the button hole!)

Hooks are flying!

Literally...
I've been popping about the country quite a bit recently, and that means time spent at airports and on the plane is extra crocheting time :-)


I've finished 3 more shawls for the Felt Shop plus two shawls and a blanket that were asked for, as well as the usual couple of dozen hearts to be hung from random trees for Valentines Day (oorrrrrrr).

3 shawls in the Felt Shop

Now for something new.  
I'm attempting a cardigan.  
So far I've pulled it apart four times, tried 3 different patterns and now I'm winging it.  It's based loosely on a pattern from my 70's Family Crochet Book, I'm saying loosely because after I'd finished the back I realised the stitch pattern was all wrong and the pattern I'm 'kind of not really' following is for a jumper not a cardi....

The yarn is lovely it's a very fine mohair and silk mix, I'm also aware that it may expand quite a bit when it's blocked so I'm really trying not to add extra stitches or it'll end up being a very holey coat for someone like Hagrid!

More flying this week, so I might get it finished by next weekend.  I have high hopes :-)

Cute Cotton Crocheting

I sorted out my stash and found I had been hoarding cotton, so I decided to have a play with amigurumi over the Christmas break and this is the result:

These 2 teddy bears are based from pictures I found on the internet on crocheted bears.  

They are so cuddly!

I also wanted to try my hand a dolls.  

It's something I've played with on and off over the years, I think these ones have turned out the best so far :-)

Angels at the Airport

This is the favourite tree in the Auckland Airport Shopping Centre Carpark dressed up for Christmas with peg and pipe cleaner angel dolls