Dynamic Duo - Part 1.

I had the pleasure of doing my first test pattern for a wonderful designer a couple of months ago. When Debbie put up a call out for a Ernie ami pattern to be tested I could not resist. Watching him come alive was comical.

My kids were fascinated with the process and were not shy in telling me what their thoughts on him were during his progression.

Creepy was the main word that appeared...

...again

...and again.

 There was even talk of zombies.

Even so, the kids (and I) were happy to see him come together.

And come together he did! 

Ernie resides in my lounge room at home, hanging around my book shelves and holding up photo frames. He does a splendid job of it too.

Gorgeous Giraffes!

Ive spent a good chunk of my time these past few months testing patterns for some very talented designers. My first test after I moved in to my new house was the 'Spot the Giraffe Blanket' for the amazingly talented Heather Gibbs.

 When I saw the photo that went along with the call out, there was no way I could refuse! 

 So started a crazy couple of weeks making squares ever spare moment I could find.

Then came the fun part! Crocheting the numerous little pieces that would make up the giraffes. I was sure all that sewing would do my head in; but those squares were worth all the pain that came with them.

I whip stitched those squares in to rows of two...

... and joined them together as I went. I took my blanket on night shift with me so I could work on it and meet my deadline. I also found that it would be my downfall. Turns out my attention to detail is not up to par at 3am. 

I was happily working on my border when I spotted my huge error! (Ok maybe not too huge, but it seemed that way to a perfectionist tester). I ripped out half of my completed border before messaging my designer to practically beg her not to use my photos and tell her I planned to pull it apart and fix my error. Heather being the awesome person she is, talked me in to not being too hasty. After a calming nights rest I agreed with her. Of course that meant reworking the border I had ripped apart.

The giraffe blanket has been the most eventful test I have done yet. Although flawed, I absolutely love it. I could not bring myself to sell it without rearranging those squares; so it is now put away, ready to be used as a prop blanket.

Changes

I haven't posted in a while and I'm ashamed to say my mood blanket has been abandoned. I plan on getting back to it in a couple of weeks with a design change and monthly updates. I have been good with keeping up with recording my moods. 

 Now for my exciting news.

Contented Crochet is moving house! I am sad to be leaving this old cottage, but it is all in aid of some exciting future goals.

We move in to our new place in six days and I have only just started packing due to some night shifts and giving myself less than two weeks to start with. The best news is that it is right across the road from my work, so I am saving myself about 40 minutes walking time every shift. That means 40 more minutes of crochet! The new place has a small storage area on the back deck that may become my new crafting area if it is large enough to fit my table. Either way, I'll be sure to post pictures when I have an area set up. 

I also wish to introduce you to Charlie!

See you in the new place!

Inca Kisses Fun

I haven't been around for a while and I'm ashamed to say I have fallen behind with my crochet mood blanket. I was absorbed in another crochet project for a little while that I was very proud to be a part of.

 Heather from over at Keep Calm and Crochet On UK was kind enough to let me test a gorgeous beanie pattern that she was working on. The top part of the beanie was smooth sailing and I fell in love with my colour choices.

When it came to the kisses section I started to have some trouble. It all came down to my technique. My seam was not travelling and it caused my kisses to look like K's.

Once I got my seams travelling the pattern came together for me...

...and it was all smooth sailing from then.

My youngest daughter claimed this beanie when I was only a few rows in to it and she was so excited when she came home from school to find me making the braids one afternoon. Never mind that it is summer here, she wore it up to the shops and we received heaps of compliments on it.

 I am happy to announce that Heather has just released the pattern over on her Ravelry and Craftsy stores and has a sale going on as well. So go check it out!

Note: Blogger is not allowing me to add links to Heathers stores, but if you click on her blog link in the second paragraph you will find links to her store.

Crochet Mood Blanket - Week 4

It has been a busy week with work and getting the kids organised to go back to school tomorrow after a relaxing six week break. The kids are excited to see who their new teachers are this year and I have a very impatient new high schooler who has been waiting for this day for two years.

 My mood blanket is growing beautifully and I have learnt to live with the colour quirks.

Day 22 - Tired.

Day 23 - Lucky.

Day 24 - Sad.

Day 25 - Energetic.

Day 26 - Loved.

Day 27 - Loving.

Day 28 - Excited!

I have done a rough estimate of my bed and it looks like I will need about 207 rows to fit my bed perfectly. I intend to do another five rows of border and the rest of the days of the year will be spent making cushions to go on my bed. I think I may mix it up a little and incorporate some granny squares and ripples into my cushions for a little bit of variety. What I love about this project is that the possibilities are endless!

Crochet Mood Blanket - Week 3

As my blanket is growing I am loving it more and more! This week saw the last of my mood colours eventually worked into my granny stripe. I also realised that I am a little more complex then I thought. I couldn't be bothered to choose more colours so I am thinking I may add more moods to certain colours. I can't believe I didn't add a colour for creative! 

Here is this weeks progress.

Day 15 - Lucky.

Day 16- Excited.

Day 17 - Angry.

Day 18 - Sad.

Day 19 - Happy.

Day 20 - Energetic.

Day21 - Happy.

The one thing I am not looking forward to is the weaving in of all those ends. Tomorrow I am going to spend time weaving in as many as I can. Then I need to make sure I weave in ends every day so I don't get so overwhelmed!

 Next week I will make sure I get a good photo in natural light. I am usually trying to avoid shadows under harsh lights and my blanket is not showing up as spectacular as it is in real life. 

Crochet Mood Blanket - Week 2

As it's already day 15 over here in Australia, I'm running late with keeping updated about my progress for the crochet mood blanket CAL. So without further ado, here is week two!

Day 8 - Happy.

Day 9 - Sad.

Day 10 - Loved.

Day 11 - Tired.

Day 12 - Tired.

Day 13 - Bored.

Day 14 - Happy.

I wasn't sure about the orange and pink together. I thought it clashed but the lovely ladies over on the Facebook page assured me that it looked fine. The hardest thing is learning to live with the colour clashes. After all, it's all about your mood for the day. Any OCD tendencies, no matter how small, need to be pushed aside for this project. Now I'm a few rows beyond it I no longer even notice it. I love the blanket progress as a whole. 

Be sure to check out the #crochetmoodblanket2014 tag over on Instagram. The blankets being made by all these talented ladies are amazing!