Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Sunday 29 September 2013

Granny Square Cowl

The few days while recovering from that nasty spider bite were torture for me!!

I had ordered some locally produced yarn to try out - an Aran and an Acrylic / Wool blend - in a mish mash of colours.    When the order arrived my fingers were just itching to get crocheting - but instead I had to be content with paging through magazines and clicking around the internet.

There are soooo many gorgeous granny square cowls, scarves and wraps etc on Pinterest - as soon as the bite started healing I set about crocheting like a crazy lady on a mission to save the world with granny squares!

Made this granny square cowl using Lollipop Vezuvo Aran (400g skeins) - in Violet, Light Grey and Jeans - the yarn is soft and has a very comforting feel to it - works up super fast too!


granny square cowl

Almost makes me wish it was still winter here (no ..... not really!!!) - but one of these is going to be a must for my 2014 winter wardrobe!!


granny square cowl

I made 10 x 5 row identical granny squares, using the join as you go method to connect each new block to the previous block on the last round.   Connect the 10th block to the 9th block on the one end and to the 1st block on the opposite end.   For the border I crocheted 3ch 2dc into any sp between clusters, then *ss into next sp, 3ch, 2dc* repeat up to and including last space, ss into 1st ch on starting shell.

The yarn holds form very nicely - and the finished product drapes very well,


granny square cowl

I crocheted a triple layer flower brooch in a matching "jeansy" shade using an acrylic / wool blend.    The brooch can be worn separately, pinned to the cowl as a decoration or to keep it in place if you wish to drape it over your shoulders.

Have made up a pattern for the brooch - just need to add the photos!!

Friday 27 September 2013

Yarn Indaba 2014 - Yarnbombing Fun

Yarn Indaba 2014 - Yarn Bomb World Record Attempt!

I am jumping in a little late with this post - by now Yarn Indaba is not new(s) - all and sundry have already picked up their crochet hooks and knitting needles and are frantically making blocks for the World Record attempt at the largest yarn bomb.


According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, urban knitting or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk.


yarn storming

The attempt at the World Record will be made on 1 August 2014 by covering the steps of the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, South Africa with crocheted / knitted blocks:

19050 blocks of 20cm x 20cm
3350 blocks of 15cm x 15cm 

Contributors efforts will be put to good use after the yarn bomb, as the blocks will be donated to charities for the making of blankets (lots and lots of lovely warm, wooly, comforting blankets!!)

I decided to "merge' the two scrap buster projects I had going to see how many squares I could make for Yarn Indaba!

Count so far:

24 - 20cm x 20cm blocks
2  - 15cm x 15cm blocks

An extremely colourful and mismatched collection of blocks - I could not resist the temptation to use  them for a little yarn bomb of my own:


yarn storm

I LOVE how colourful the tree looked!     I can just imagine how fantastic it must be to create a BIG yarn bomb!!

It took me about an hour to work them together roughly and then "stitch" them on to the tree (which is a lovely thirteen year old ficus - a housewarming gift from a very dear friend)     I had to take the photos in a big hurry so that I could disassemble it again - storm clouds blowing over and I was convinced we were going to get some much needed rain (my mistake - still no rain!)

The squares are once again neatly stacked and ready to play their part in the biggest Yarn Bomb ever!!!

Frantically finishing up some  more WIP's so that I can make more squares for Yarn Indaba!

Monday 9 September 2013

Banana Ripple and Lemon Sorbet

Scrapbooking  (next to crochet and cardmaking) is my absolute favourite thing to do!!  - the cutting, layering, pasting, embellishing - OOH love it!

I have never taken to the digital scrapbooking and cardmaking craze - but lately I have been having a lot of fun "scrapbooking" my craft photo's with Pic Monkey!


crochet baby blanket

This will never replace my "paper" scrapbooking  - but it is perfect for my online sharing!

We have not "eased" into spring here in Johannesburg - the days are already hot, and Mr Owl and I have been enjoying fruit salad and ice cream for lunch for the past few days.

Last week I was admiring the gorgeous colours of the fruit salad and banana ripple ice cream as I carried it out to the lapa (thatch gazebo thingy) - and lightbulb!!! - I just had to make a Banana Ripple Baby Blanket!!   I started the square "log-cabin style"  - about halfway through I switched to working the whole way around with each colour change.    It worked up quite quickly, and as I was crocheting I was already planning my next ice cream blankets - choc chip mint, berry ripple, chocolate and fudge..........


crochet baby blanket

I made this one a few weeks back and had no idea what to call it.     Ice cream inspiration......... I love those pretty sorbets that you get in the orange and lemon skins..... and YAY my blanket had a name.

My arm is still pretty useless at the moment (thank you eight legged creature!) - not capable of any major creative feats.      Baked a batch of  muffins using some Golden Cloud Vanilla Muffin baking mix - add 2.5ml of cinnamon and 1 grated apple to the mix - sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top before baking) - not quite made from scratch but still homemade and freshly baked!    And quite yum!!


cinnamon muffins

Played around on Pic Monkey again!!

Tried to make sense of my WIP's


seed stitch

Seed Stitch Baby Blanket - not much progress has been made here (only 32 rows so far).

Miss M's Groovyghan (well not actually a work in progress - but I have chosen the colours if that counts??) - a Christmas gift for my niece.

Stormy Seas Groovyghan (second one I am making in these colours - as I had quite a bit lof yarn left over from the first one)     Changed the layout and the flower squares a bit for this one.   Came up with a brilliant (I think so) flower square granny - will share soon!

Lacy Baby Blanket- been busy with this one since the beginning of time!   This is the second one I am making using this pattern - the first was a commissioned blankie.    I want to share the pattern for this one - and committing pattern to text is probably what is causing the hold up!

Cushion Covers - started out as a set of three but due to loss of interest in this project will now be a set of two!

Scrapbuster project - making 5 row, single colour granny squares from whatever scraps I have left from other projects.

Oh and then there is my Scrap-Scrapbuster project - another Hexagon Scrapghan - this one is going to be even busier than the first!

Wow!   I have been waffling on for ages - can you tell how bored I am not being able to Craft??

Think I will make some tea - and I have a ridiculous craving for a peanut butter and syrup sarmie!

Then I will sit and sip tea and hope that the Courier arrives with my wool order.     Sooo excited!!

Saturday 7 September 2013

Christmas Stocking!!!




Despite my recent "mis-adventure" I managed to get round to writing the pattern for my Christmas Stocking!

A nasty little something bit me on the upper arm while working in the garden.     It started out a bit itchy - so I just put a bit of antihistamine cream on.    A couple of hours later my arm was huge - hot - and a nasty red!    Mr Owl (my  hero - always to the rescue) spirits me away to the ER.  The Triage Nurse, the Casualties Nurse and the Doctor ask me "How Are You??"?   Really??   I am in the ER at 23h00 on a Friday night with the Grim Reaper peeking over my shoulder - how do you think I am??   Shot of Pethidine and two massive dosis of antibiotics later - and the Dr pronounces me fit to go home (at this point Grim shuffles off looking rather disgruntled!).

My arm is not very useful today so I have been blogging about and writing my  
CHRISTMAS STOCKING PATTERN:

Pattern Terms:   US

Yarn:  Mirage Pullskein (DK / 8ply / light worsted weight) - Stylecraft Special DK is a good alternative and is available internationally online from Deramores.

Hook:  5.50 for the boot and a 5.00mm for the joining (the Mirage DK is slightly thicker than other DK yarns).   Adjust your hook according to your yarn thickness.

Size:  Stocking measures 35cm in height.    Heel to toe 25cm.

Make SIX circles as follows:

Ch 4, ss to join
Row 1:  3ch, 11 dc, ss to join
Row 2:  3ch 1dc into sp between dc; *2dc into sp between dc* rep *to* 11 times = 24dc
Row 3:  3ch, 1dc into sp between 2dc, 1dc into next sp *2dc into next sp between 2dc, 1dc into next sp*Rep *to* 11 times = 36 stitches


crochet christmas stocking

For the TOP CUFF take TWO of the circles and crochet a fourth row on each as follows:

Row 4:  Into a sp between a double dc work as follows:
4ch, 1tr, 2ch, 2tr; *1dc into each of the next 8sp; 2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next sp* rep *to* 3x; 1dc into each of the next 8sp, ss into top of 4ch


crochet christmas stocking

HEEL PIECE A
Into a sp between a double dc work as follows:  4ch, 1tr, 2ch, 2tr; 1dc into each of the next 8sp; 2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space;  1dc into each of next 5 spaces - start forming the heel piece by crocheting 2dc into each of next 5 spaces;   1dc into each of next 7 spaces;   2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space;  1dc into each of next 8 spaces, ss into top of 4 ch to join

HEEL PIECE B
Into a sp between a double dc work as follows:4ch, 1tr, 2ch, 2tr; 1dc into each of the next 8sp; 2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space;  1dc into each of next 8 spaces;   2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space;  1dc into each of next 7 spaces;  2dc into each of next 5 spaces;   1 dc into each of next 5 spaces


crochet christmas stocking

TOE PIECE A
Into a sp between a double dc work as follows:4ch, 1tr, 2ch, 2tr; 1dc into each of the next 8sp;  2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space;  1dc into each of next 8 spaces;  *2dc into each of next 8 spaces, 1dc into each of remaining 10 spaces;   ss into top of 4 ch

TOE PIECE B
Into a sp between a double dc work as follows:4ch, 1tr, 2ch, 2tr; 1dc into each of the next 8sp;  2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space;  1dc into each of next 10 spaces;  2dc into each of next 8 spaces, 1dc into each of remaining 8 spaces;  ss into top 4ch


crochet christmas stocking

Join A & B   Cuff, heel piece A, toe piece A

I crocheted mine together at the back - 4ch through both corners of toe and heel pieces, skip 2dc, 2ch,  1sc into next space - repeat to corner, 1ch, crocheting 1sc through both corners of heel and cuff pieces, skip 2dc, 1sc into next space - repeat to corner.

Crochet a row of dc around A and around B 

To extend the Cuff:
Join 3rd colour to the top corner - 3ch, 2dc into corner, skip 3dc, 3dc into next space - repeat to opposite corner, 3dc into corner, 3ch turn

3dc into next space, repeat to last space, 1dc into top of 3ch of previous row.

Repeat these two rows until the stocking is as long as you like (I did 6 rows), changing colours as you like.


crochet christmas stocking

Now to bring it all together:
Into top of 3ch on the last cuff row on A work 1ch, 1sc into the top of each dc - repeat to last stitch
20ch, ss into each chain
Fold over and ss into first chain to form the hanging loop 

Hold A & B together (right sides facing outwards) 2sc into side of each post on cuff, 1sc through both A & B into each space between dc, 2sc into side of each post on cuff, 1sc into top of each dc on side B, ss into bottom of hanging loop to finish.

Weave in the ends and Decorate!!


crochet christmas stocking

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Emergency Baking


Today was another one of those CRAZY busy days.    Hubby has been on the phone with clients all morning and I have been packing cards.      By the time I realised I was starving and was about to make us breakfast it was almost lunchtime!    I felt like something freshly baked and savoury.    I usually make my sweetcorn bread from scratch - but being a bit pressed for time today I took a shortcut (all the while holding thumbs that it would actually turn out ok!!)

I keep a packet or two of these premixes in the cupboard for emergencies (almost starved + lazy + in a huge hurry = EMERGENCY):


I added  oil and eggs as per the packet instructions, a 410g tin of sweetcorn and about 150ml water.  Shared in half between two greased loaf pans.    Baked at 180C for about 45 minutes:


They turned out quite well.     Had to take a quick pic because Hubby had arrived to investigate the aroma!    Grated some cheese, put out some butter and apricot jam, made two quick cups (coffee for Hubby - tea for me) and LUNCH!


Slices are a bit hacked - the bread was still steaming hot - but, as I said, we were starving!     OOOH yummmeee!    It was delish!

Spending the afternoon working in ends and trying to figure out why I suddenly cannot connect to the internet on my laptop??

Hopefully I will still have some time to work on my Christmas Stocking pattern.