Last time I was writing a blog post I was about to sit what I hoped would be my final exam. Well, it didn't go to plan (more on why in a minute) and I failed. So up to the end of September I had to focus really hard and try again - along with some exam counselling that resulted in me passing my last ever exam and becoming a qualified actuary. Probably means nothing to most of you but just know it was nearly seven years of hard work to get there, and they're very tough exams. I'm so pleased they're finally done (I'll have more crafting time!) and I now just need to get the paperwork sorted to make it all official.
Now the second big thing that happened is the birth of my second child - another gorgeous girl! I hadn't announced on here that I was even expecting - it was a difficult pregnancy (which affected my ability to study significantly) and along with the study is why I've not updated this blog in so long. She arrived at the end of November, rather dramatically as she didn't wait until we got to the hospital and instead the paramedics arrived just in time to deliver her at home! I've made so many cute baby items for her, but her favourite is this blanket, which she loves playing peekaboo with:
To be honest the blanket is very soft and squishy so I'm not surprised she likes it! It's tempting to make one for myself... Being made in wondersoft baby dk held double it worked up very quickly too. The main part of the blanket is simply rows of double crochet into the back loop, and the border is seven trebles into the same stitch (missing three stitches either side) interspersed with double crochet stitches to make the maths work! Here's a picture of the whole blanket:
I also became a little obsessed with baby hats at the end of pregnancy - good job too given how cold it's been. Though I did find time to knit myself a hat, pattern from TOFT:
It's made in TOFT chunky which is a luxury wool but so worth it as it's made the softest warmest hat I've ever owned. The TOFT fluffy pompom adds the perfect finishing touch.
Here are a couple more of my makes over the period - these were a gift for my best friend Claire who was due just a few weeks after me:
The toy is the polar bear from Edward's menagerie by Kerry Lord. The blanket is a granny square, and for the edging I simply did chain five loops between the chain spaces, then again chain five loops from the centre of each loop. I love the way it finished it off.
Yet another baby blanket I made is this pastel granny stripe, pictured here with one of the many hats I made:
It's made in stylecraft special dk, and I've had the colours picked out for a long while without a specific plan. I've used candyfloss, pale peach, apricot, lemon, spring green, sherbet, cloud blue, lavender and wisteria. For the border I did (2 treble crochet, chain 2, two treble crochet) into each chain space after doing a round of granny stitch all the way round. Here's a closer picture of the border:
The other thing I was planning to make lots of, but didn't quite get round to, is baby booties. I got a few pairs finished in time (and a few more pairs are still in the making) - of those these from TOFT have to be my favourite as they are just so soft and warm as I made them from baby alpaca wool:
That is a pretty good recap of just some of the things I've been making over the last nine months. Now it's a new year I've decided to make a new start on this blog - I know I've said that before but this time I mean it and I won't have exams getting in the way. Going forwards I hope to update it every couple of weeks. Being on maternity leave for most of the year I'll hopefully get lots of crafting done - at least I will do once baby starts to sleep! I've got some very exciting things in the pipeline, and so many ideas buzzing round my head I think 2018 is going to be very exciting indeed.
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