Arc-en-ciel: the end!

It all started here with photos of the yarn I was planning on using. And then I updated you on the state of Arc-en-ciel a few times I realise: here, here, here, here and here!!

Since then, I've finished it, and it's even got a nice border!! How about that?! Ok, maybe not the best in the world, but I reckon it looks cute and fits in the look of it. Basically colourful, pretty mental, childish perhaps, but definitely there to be used and enjoyed. It's 100% acrylic, so I hope it'll survive all sorts of mischief/ picnics in the parc/ camping in the cold.

It's been a long time coming really, it even came with me to Cambodia. Not that it got even touched at all in between the flight there and the flight back, but I certainly got a few looks at Siem Reap airport! What can I say, it may have been 30degrees + outside, but the air con always makes me feel cold! Perfect conditions for crochet I say!

So there, once again, thank you very much Attic 24 for the pattern for this ripple blanket, it was perfect! And I also adapted Attic's granny blanket edging for my edging too. All in all, a a sucess I reckon! Well, I hope you like it too obviously, but I'm just so pleased with it! I smile everytime I look at it, it's just so cheerful and happy :-)

So, I bet you'd like to see the finished article right?




Here....




we....

go....!!!

Ta-dah!!!!! Isn't it cool? So happy and colourful!!!! (Yes slap me if I say those two words once more in this post!!)

And now for the precariously-standing-on-chair photo ;-)

So, for information purposes only, and if you like numbers like I do, enjoy Arc-en-ciel's vital statistics:

Vital statistics

Length: 165cm

Width: 85cm

Weight: 612g

Colours: 13

Stripes: 65

Waves: 10

Ends sewn in: 142

Estimated time: just under 50 hours

Price: practically free! I mostly used up yarn that I had in my stash, only bought a few more extras in France during a holiday last year, about 10euros worth.

Yarn used (number of times used) / origin:

• red (5) / Yarn Red DK from Wilkinson
• pink (6) / Yarnfair DK Pink colourway 737 from Wilkinson
• coral (7) / Yarnfair DKCoral colourway 036 from Wilkinson
• purple (7) / Bergere de France Bergerama Weigelia colourway 21158 from Toulouse, France
• mauve (6) / unknown
• shiny blue (5) / Impact de Phildar Myosotis colourway 026 from my nan
• deep blue (6) / Yarnfair DK Dark Blue colourway 205/80 from Wilkinson
• green (6) / Bergere de France Bergerama Majorque colourway 21153 from Toulouse, France
• yellow (6) / Yarnfair DK Warm Yellow colourway 027 from Wilkinson
• orange (6) / Bergere de France Bergerama Mineola colourway 21655 from Toulouse, France
• light green (1) / Yarn Jade DK from Wilkinson
• dull blue (2) / Bergere de France Bergerama Delft colourway 21566 from Toulouse, France
• dark green (2) / Robin DK colourway 45 from Wilkinson

Totally love it! Another happy crafty project to make my flat feel more like a home :-)

ps: I'm yet to work out how to sort out my photo problem without actually having to go through all the photos and resize them, or just pay for more space... although at the moment I don't see another possibility.... which is why these photos are tiny - no more massive photos on Petit Filoux I'm afraid (the type that you could click on and would expand to the size of the universe pretty much). I'll let you know if I come up with an easy simple solution of course. Hopefully a quick one too!

My rainbow love

Can you believe it? It's nearly there... I can smell the finish line and I cannot wait to show you the finished beauty that I can see it will be very soon indeed. I have loved making this thrifty little blanket, and now, as I'm sewing in the ends, I've got a border shaping up in my head. Oh yes, it definitely needs something to tidy it up, make it look complete.

I promise, it won't be long now :-)

Arc en ciel in progress

It's been a while since I've given you an update on my arc-en-ciel blanket, but to be fair, it's been a while since I've done any work on it too.

What I often see as an advantage of crochet (over knitting for example) is also one of its downsides. You can leave it off at any point, there's no row to finish, each stitch is very much standalone. This also means that it gets put aside and forgotten about.

Consequently, this blanket is both a work in progress, and a regularly used blanket. It keeps me company in the evenings, and I occasionally pick up the hook and add a few rows to it.

I'm planning on getting this finished in the near future, as some serious travelling time is coming up. Can't wait to have it all done, it's so pretty and colourful! You can't help but smile when you look at so much colour. It's against nature I tell you.

Changing colours

No, this isn't going to be another post about autumn colours. I'd love to, but unfortunately, these are mostly gone with all the rain and wind we've had in the past few days. No no no, I'm talking about my current blanket in progress.

Like I said yesterday, I had plenty of time to work on it at the weekend and I totally indulged. Sat by the window, looking at all my colours, enjoying seeing it grow. There is something so satisfying to see something you're making with your own hands grow. Using a simple material, I can make this!! I made this!!! Honestly, even if no one else cares, I'm immensely proud of this. I'm so proud to be able to make things like this. No I won't be getting any official recognition for it, no A grade, no money in my bank account. But the pride? The happiness I get from this? Priceless.

I even made a little yarn identification 'booklet'. To see that I was using all colours in the same amounts.

This is so so exciting, I couldn't help but showcase it around the living room, there against a purple fleece blanket, here against Go Caerphilly.

My chest is filling up with pride just as I'm typing this. And yes, there's also a massive grin on my face. Not because I'm being terribly cheesy, but because this is what I do, this is what makes me happy. And if anyone says I'm not cool or not acting my age, well I tell you this: I couldn't care less. This is me and I love it.

Arc-en-ciel

I've had several questions about my current blanket-in-the-making and I thought I'd write a little post about it. Before I go any further, I would like to say that I am indeed following Attic 24's pattern for a ripple blanket. Apparently a couple of people have struggled with it a little, but all I can say is that I'm a very novice crocheter, and all I did was sit down with the photos and instructions and well, the rest is history! (And no, I'm really not that clever). Anyway, it's going well so far, and I can't wait for the time when I can snuggle under it, spread it over the bed in the 'guest room', or take in on picnic or camping trips. Because this is a 4-in-1 blanket you see!!!

I'll have to snuggle under it because, well, that's what blankets are for. And this one is going to be irresistible with its multitude of colours. I can just imagine that when I have down days, it'll help me cheer up, I'm convinced about that. Not only because it's colourful, but because it will undoubtedly remind me of blogland, the wonderful things it has taught me, both in terms of crafting skills but more importantly emotionally.

The blanket might also be used in the second bedroom to cover the single bed we have in there for guests. That's because I've started it about 1m wide, which is the width of a single bed. I guess I'll carry on until I either get really bored of it, run out of yarn (unlikely really!) or cover the length of said-single bed.

Finally, it will most definitely be coming on picnic and camping trips. Because it's made with acrylic yarn, it should be hard wearing and I won't mind it getting a little dirty because putting it in the washing machine won't be an issue. Ooh I can't wait!! I can just picture myself, sat in my cute little tent, gazing over some stunning bit of scenery, a lake or a mountain perhaps, wrapped up in my Arc-en-Ciel, sipping a cup of hot chocolate....

Here's to dreams and crafting!!! x

It all gets in the way

The last couple of weeks have been a little bit of a rollercoaster. I've been to two weddings, travelled thousands of miles and even snuck in a little trip abroad in between. Not exactly my idea of a relaxing weekend and working week! Anyway, I now have a few evenings to relax before I'm off again. But more on this next week as it is someone's birthday treat!

I've found that disappointingly, I haven't turned to my crafting to relax. When I have had a few minutes to myself, I have spent them slouching in front of the TV. Give me anything, The Apprentice, Masterchef, Eastenders, Waterloo Road, I'll gobble anything you throw at me.

My cross stitch has officially stooled. But on the plus side, I have finally started on my ripple blanket. Much easier than I thought it would be, The Girl you have to sit down and give it another go, it's honestly not rocket science! Trust me, if I can do it, you definitely can. I like how the pattern is easily remembered. And choosing what colour to use next is quite fun, although as you can see, I haven't had to do that too often just yet.

Oh goodness, is it bad to long for 2011 already?! Honestly, the thought of all the end of year malarky, all the hassle that goes with Christmas, and then New Year, arghh!!! What, am I having a little pre-holiday rant? Most possibly. I hope you don't mind too much :-)

Ahead of myself

That's what I'm doing apparently. Getting ahead of myself. In my defence, this is the opinion of someone who doesn't crochet or knit. What do they know hey?! Nothing, that's what!!!

Well, that's not completely true, but it's fair to say that people who don't crochet or knit just don't understand the yarn love that one develops. It can easily turn into a slight obsession, and there's nothing wrong with that (unless of course you're spending all your money on it and can't afford to feed your children at the end of the month - bad knitter). So anyway, even though I've been extremely careful, trying not to buy any yarn unnecessarily, I seem to have accumulated a few odd balls over the last couple of years. I've had to rein in this yarn love of mine for two reasons: I don't earn much money and (direct consequence) I live in a small flat with limited storage space. Oh, actually, make that three reasons: I have a boyfriend. Enough said. So I guess this next project of mine is actually a good one because it involves using up about 90% of my acrylic yarn collection. Yes yes yes, you'll have guessed, I'm embarking on another crochet blanket! And urghm, yes, I haven't finished the last one yet. But that's ok, that's ok, I promise!!!

You see, it's all about Forward Planning. I enjoy crochet and knitting so much, if I haven't got something in mind for when I finish my current project, I feel like I'm in limbo. Whereas now, the second I finish Caerphilly, I can start on Arc en Ciel.

Why the Arc en Ciel (rainbow for those of you with limited French vocabulary ;-) )? Well, you see the two purple balls of yarn, the two green ones and the little orange one lurking at the back? They were all purchased from a lovely gentleman running a yarn shop in Toulouse. It is indeed a little souvenir from my French summer holiday. And the alternative being a reference to Wilkinsons',  which is where the rest of the yarn comes from, isn't so appealing, don't you agree?! Actually, that's a lie. I do plan on using up some blue yarn (about 6 balls) that I inherited from my nan. It's about 15 years old and dates back to a time when she attempted to teach me to knit and I pretended to knit my mum a scarf for a birthday (I say pretend because nan ended up knitting it really, I lost interest...). So I think it's quite legitimate for this blanket to be branded French.

So there, this will be a lovely colourful zigzaggy blanket (yes, in proper Attic 24 ripple style!!), to be taken on next year's camping holidays. Camping holidays?! Yes, we are now the proud owners of a comfy tent, and I fully intend on making the most of it when the weather gets better again!!! A warm blanket will be a great addition to our holidays, especially one that can be thrown in the washing machine when we get home!