There's change in the air

A couple of weeks back, my Astrological stars told me a change was coming. I don't usually take much from reading these vague predictions but this one stood out. It went something along the lines of "'some' star is coming out of 'something' and this signifies the end of a difficult chaotic time that has been with you for the last two years. Keep working on what you love as you will begin to see the rewards soon."

 

Although I feel completely blessed with my little fam, it definitely hasn't been the easiest time for us to suddenly jump from one child to three. There's been a lot of sacrifices and changes to our plans. Somethings just aren't possible when you have two babies at once. Your financial planning goes out the window... the bigger house, bigger car, bigger pram... all the baby stuff you thought you could recycle from your first child you still need to buy doubles of... the mummy time your eldest misses out on because you're stuck of the couch nursing, or changing a zillion nappies...

 

But! I do feel like a cloud is lifting. We've recently moved from a home with a teeny courtyard into a new house with a great sized yard for the kids to run & explore (and not hang off mummy's leg while I'm cooking dinner). We're not on top of each other here, we have our own space and the kids aren't bouncing off the walls come 5pm. It just feels right. Little boys should be able to run, climb trees, dig in the dirt, poke spiders with sticks... And it feels great as a parent to give them the opportunity to.

 

Also, I'm getting lots of web-type love for my work at the moment, which I feel super flattered about. I'm definitely starting to see the rewards for doing what I love.

 

 

Things are looking up for my Three Beans... the 'real' & the crochet ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:

 

Spring is coming! Flowers are popping up everywhere, the sun is beginning to shine.

 







Things are looking up, and so have I.

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 Oh, and I have a massive addiction to macarons. They're just so good aren't they?! I do have a dilemma about what to call them though, I know they are mac-a-rons but so many people call them mac-a-rOOns, and I don't want to seem like a macaron snob correcting everyone so I just ask for 'one of those'... no... I lie... there's no way I'd only be asking for just one!

Have a Macaron/oon/oneofthose

 for me & take the time to

look up every now and then.

 

x Adele

:{W.I.P Wednesday}:

 

My blankets are coming along nicely. I'm about midway on the harlequin blanket... which means I've taken a detour to start and finish the in between project... does anyone else do this? Lose interest halfway so you focus on finishing something else instead?

 

It's starting for feel like a real blanket now though. I always love when you get to the point where you can fold it up neatly and it has some bulk to it. It will be a lovely thick blanket when it's all done, just need to focus on getting it done!

 

The Retro Circles pram blanket is almost all finished now, although I've run out of the wool needed to finish the border! Is there anything more annoying?! Look at the last photo, just along those three squares and around the corner to go! so close, yet so far. I'll be popping to the shop tomorrow, praying they still have the same dye lot.

 

I've also had the sewing machine out this week, doing something with all that calico and fibre fill I had bought a couple weeks back. I've been commissioned to make some floor cushions (the square one below), so I was sewing up a sample from the pattern I had made. Now, sewing is not my strong point so a few little booboos were made along the way but pretty happy that I only sewed one seam the wrong way! whoops.

I also played around with making a kid's sized round pouf. I take my hat off to those that can sew proficiently! I never would have thought it would be so difficult to sew in a circle! This one will need some readjusting.

 

 

I've been ordering yarn too, can't wait to get these colours in the mail. Excited also to be working with Sublime yarn again, this time 'Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK' (75% Merino, 20% Silk, 5% Cashmere). I've ordered it from Deramores. Love this site, it's based in the UK but ships worldwide. Great product range, prices and postage. Now just to wait patiently for the postman and finsih these two blankets so I can start on the next.

 

 

 

x Adele

Birthday Giveaway!

'Three Beans in a Pod' turned one on the 12th of July... and I forgot... whoops! So I'm having a Giveaway to celebrate.

You could win a custom order, pram sized (60x80cm) blanket. Blanket designs can be (in order of the above pic) Retro Circles, Granny Circles, Harlequin or Traditional Granny Squares (not pictured) in a choice of up to 5 colours of 100% Australian wool. 

It is a Facebook promotion, so you'll have to pop over to my page to enter but it is open to all fans regardless of location (some postage is payable for international entrants).

I don't take custom orders on blankets so this is a rare opportunity.

Entries close 11:59pm Wednesday 5th September (Sydney, Australia time) so get your entry in and try your luck!

x Adele

:{W.I.P Wednesday}:

As a ploy to keep myself blogging, I've decided to start W.I.P (work in progress) Wednesdays!

At the moment I have a few projects running...

A Harlequin stitch blanket from a great pattern here using wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills. I love the super large 200g balls, the free Australian post over $30, the great price and quality. They ship Internationally too, have a look!

After making the square for the Retro Circles Tutorial I decided to keep going and have started to make a pram sized Retro Circles blanket from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK. Just waiting on a sea green to arrive from the UK to complete it. Only two colours in these circles, with a grey 100% wool border.

I'm also crocheting a request from a New Zealander workmate, a toilet paper roll cover! LOL! Can't say no to such Kitsch-i-ness, so I'm making a Kiwi Bird... as you do. They're funny little things, those Kiwi's (the birds not the people), you can go here to read all about them.

What are you working on today?

x Adele



Good days...

My partner's a shift worker. I don't mind it so much, perhaps because my mum is a nurse so I grew up with it. Also he works 12 hour shifts in blocks of 4-5 days on, 5-6 days off, so when he's working we don't really see him but then he's off for 6 days! How great is that?!

Today was a 'sleep after night shift' day so I got the kids out of the house, they love running into the bedroom and screaming "Wake up, Daddy!" when he's trying to sleep. After dropping Master N at school I went to Spotlight (a craft store) with the Little Ones and all three of us (myself included) were so well behaved! The Little Ones (2.5yrs) were allowed to walk in, no pram, AND they stayed with Mummy (no lost child/major meltdown = awesome shopping trip!), and I didn't buy a single ball of yarn! I did, however, buy Calico, zippers and copious amounts of fibre fill.

I have an idea... it involves a sewing machine, not my strong point, so we'll see how this pans out.

Then we headed off to the park for a play to celebrate our good behaviour.

I was given some lovely 'flowers'. Well, I guess that bit of bush would look like a flower to a two year old, doesn't matter, your child could give you a piece of rubbish and call it a flower, and it would still melt your heart.

I received lots of cuddles too. Maybe if I cuddle them long enough they'll stay this age forever.

Master H

Master J

Hope you had a great day too!

x Adele

Retro Circles - The Tutorial

After many requests I’ve decided to post a tutorial for the square used in the Retro Circles Blanket

I’m calling this a ‘tutorial’ rather than a pattern as I’m not re-inventing the wheel. Although I didn’t work from a pre-existing pattern when making my blanket I know there are many ‘circle in a square’ patterns out there. One from Little Tin Bird that is very similar to what I had done, so I would hate anyone to think that I’m claiming their pattern as my own.
So! Here goes...

Abbreviations:

US crochet terms

SS- Slip stitch

SC- Single crochet

HDC- Half-double crochet

DC- Double crochet

TC- Treble crochet

Ch- Chain

Select the hook that works well with the yarn you have.  I used a 4.5mm hook and dk weight yarn, I crochet quite tight so would probably choose a 4mm with dk if you don’t.

Note: Rounds 2-4 worked entirely in the BACK LOOP ONLY.

Round 1: Start with a magic circle and chain 3 (counts as first DC), 11 more DC into the circle, tighten circle. Join with a SS into the 3^rd chain in your original chain 3. Remember to join only in the back loop (12 DC)

Alternatively, if you’re not sure how to do a magic circle you can chain 4, join to make a ring. Ch3, 11 DC into ring. (This will just leave a little hole in the middle of your first round.)

Round 2: Chain 3, DC into same loop. Two DC in EACH of the following back loops until end of round. Join with SS in chain 3 (24 DC)

Round 3: Chain 3, DC into same stitch. *DC in back loop. 2 DC in next back loop. Repeat from * around. End with DC in last back loop and join with SS in chain 3 (36 DC)

Round 4: Chain 3, DC into same loop. * DC in the next two back loops, 2 DC in next. Repeat from * around. End with DC in last two back loops and join with SS in chain 3 (48 DC)

Fasten off if you want to join a new colour for the ‘square’

Join new colour.

You’re now starting on the square border around the circle. For this round you will be working through BOTH loops.

Round 5: Chain 1, SC in next two, HDC in next two, DC in next two (TC, TC, chain 3, TC, TC) all in next stitch (this is your first corner), *DC, DC, HDC, HDC, SC, SC, SC, HDC, HDC, DC, DC, (TC,TC, ch3, TC, TC) in next. Repeat from *2 more times. DC, DC, HDC, HDC join to chain 1 with SS. Fasten off.



There you are, you've made your first square!

Now make lots more. My cot sized blanket was made up of 63 squares (7 wide x 9 long). You can find a tutorial on joining the squares with single crochet at Attic24 





 

I'd love to see your creations! Feel free to post them on my Facebook page or Email me.

Disclaimer: Please do not sell my patterns or claim them as your own. You are free to do what you wish with finished items made from my patterns (donate, sell, etc), but if you are selling them online please link back to this page for pattern credit. Please use your own images if advertising an item from my pattern.

Tickled Pink...

Generally I'm not a pink person. I think you either are or you're not. The last few weeks, however, pink has been my world!



Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK

I had started this blanket way back in April but Australian winter (peak beanie order time) got in the way so it sat, half finished, for months until the start of July when I put a stop to orders so my little fam could move house. The intention was not to crochet for a few weeks so I could pack/unpack... but really who am I kidding, as if I could go a few days let alone a few weeks without crocheting something! So I finished this little lady.

I made a little African flower bonnet too, still perfecting the pattern but I think it is very sweet.

You can find the African Flower hexagon pattern here 

The half hexagon here

and join as you go tutorial here

You should make one too!

Beware, there are plenty of ends to sew in - almost drove me insane- but well worth it in the end!

Or, I will be listing this for sale on Sunday 5th August (Sydney time), if you pop over to facebook you can find some more details on that.

x Adele