Picnic on the Beach Blanket Week 1

I am a little late on my blog catch ups on this one this year, yes it is that time again for the annual crochet along with Coastal Crochet. I love Eleonora’s CALs because I always learn something new and week 1 was no exception. This year the option of colours was summer or Autumn so I opted for Autumn as it has my favourite colour in, can you guess it?

Just look at this Tunisian Entrelac crocheted gingham square to start off this years CAL. So yes you could say I learnt something new straight away.
I was a little worried as I have never really tried Tunisian crochet until recently with not great results I have to confess. I shouldn’t have been, She always does great tutorial videos to support each of her blankets, so I watched studied and off I went.

I looks so effective doesn’t it? But oh my goodness look at all those ends, I think it took longer to weave all those in than it did the whole square itself.

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I did make quite a big error on one row but by the time I’d noticed it I’d almost done so I wasn’t frogging it. I wonder if anyone spots it?

Basket Weave (Ugh) love the effect, it hates me. I always lose my way with it and forget to change direction and always end up re doing it and yes this time was no exception. Looks great though and week 2 is already complete so blog will follow soon.

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Thank you for reading and watch this space for week 2.
Love you all
Marie @cosycrochetbymarie

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Christmas Eve Blanket P2

Happy Sunday everyone I hope you have had a lovely weekend so far?

Friday was part 2 release day over on The Crochet Sanctuary’s facebook page and I couldn’t wait to finish work and start it (turns out I couldn’t stop either ha ha)

The first few rows where crisscrossed trebles and how beautiful they are, little did I know what scene they were setting as I as doing them (more on that later)

Then followed by some beautiful Christmas Trees (come on Marie you can do this) was my only thought at this point. I have to confess this is a section you cannot leave and pick back up, you need concentration and counting aloud is a must for this section, I was getting some very strange looks from the schnauzers in the room that’s for sure.

Shhhh mummy we are trying to sleep!

I have never worked this method before so it was new to me and did need to watch the video when I started. It does leave rows of chains on the back of your work, which I will secure with a few darning stitches when the blanket is complete (of before if they start to bug me).

I was very happy for the extra hour we gained last night, due to the clocks going back here in the UK, because I couldn’t put it down and didn’t realise the time when I finished.
I needed something to occupy my mind after some devastating news received yesterday and part 2 of this beautiful CAL was perfect.

I weaved in all my ends this morning and as I lay it in position for today’s blog pictures it came to life before my eyes. Those beautiful snow capped rolling mountains the backdrop to a forest of trees and fallen leaves and trodden in snow all mashed together, No? just me?, Well that’s what I see anyway ha ha.

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Thanks again to all the ladies designing this beautiful pattern, you helped me immensely yesterday so thank you, Also is it Friday yet?

• The Crochet Sanctuary
• Wee House of Crochet
• Lyndas Craft Room

Enjoy your Sunday, thanks for taking the time to have a read. Make the most of the daylight today we won’t have much of it now for a few months, does mean more cosy crochet nights for me though (every cloud).

Take care, Marie @cosycrochetbymarie

Christmas Eve Blanket CAL

Part 1

Last Friday saw the start of another CAL I wasn’t going to do but then couldn’t resist. I finished Part 1 last night but wanted to wait until today to take the pictures for today’s blog.

This may sound weird to you but straight blankets done in rows scare me a little, I always mess my counting up and lose or gain stitches and get quite a few rows in thinking I’m doing really well then I lay it flat and see the wavy sides. I spend more time frogging than crocheting.

So stitch markers at the ready, yarn arrived and wound into cakes ready, pattern downloaded and printed – lets do this!

Knitting Network supplied the packs for the cal, there are actually two CALS running Christmas Eve and Morning, Eve in Stylecraft Aran and Morning in style craft DK. I opted for the Eve pack purely on colour choice.

Alas the stitch markers didn’t help with less frogging, UGH, plenty of frogging, tears and a few tantrums where had BUT I persevered through and counting is key on this CAL that’s for sure.

What a pattern though and I now have a new favourite stitch, tiny dc popcorns they’re so cute I love them. And those giant bobble snowflakes were certainly a challenge but don’t they look great?

So happy with it and cannot wait until Part 2 tomorrow.

Look at those tiny silver bobbles, love them, fabulous pattern.

Pattern collaborated by

• The Crochet Sanctuary
• Lyndas Craft Room
• The Wee House of Crochet

Have a lovely evening / weekend everyone and thank you for reading I do appreciate you taking the time too.

Marie @cosycrochetbymarie

Beach Combing Cushion

Remember the blanket I did in lockdown? The Beach Combing Blanket CAL from the amazing Coastal Crochet?

Well I had lots of cotton yarn left so I decided to do a matching cushion to sit alongside the blanket on my bed.

I did a simple C2C backing for the cushion and lined it with a old pillow case then stuffed it with fibre fill.

I decided to add a scalloped edging, regretted it once I started but glad I persevered with it.

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I picked my favourite square from the whole blanket and and to juggle the colours around a bit but very happy with the outcome.

Thank you for reading

Marie @cosycrochetbymarie x

CAL Weeks 11 and 12

Beach Combing Blanket

Well that’s it, it’s all done for another year. Apologies for the delay in my blog but since finishing the blanket I have moved home so it has been a little hectic shall we say.

The final two weeks was the border of the blanket working in rounds to bring it all together and finish it off. And a new stitch for me Pom Pom Bobbles, a little fiddly shall we say but very affective in bright orange.

And here it is, 12 weeks of lockdown and a very emotional roller coaster for me. This blanket was made through a separation, pandemic, lockdown, furlough, back to work and a new home move. Never going to forget making this blanket am I?

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Here is it against last years Changing Tides CAL, watch this space for a little addition.

Lilly approves of both

Enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for reading.

Take Care

Marie @ Cosy Crochet

CAL Week 7

Beach Combing Blanket

Evening everyone, I hope you’re all having a great long holiday weekend so far (UK). Another week is complete and with it a realisation that I made a mistake on week 6 that I am not now rectifying (Shhhh no one can see it or tell so I’ll not mention it anymore).

This week we did the opposite side to Week 6 and 4 rows of the top and bottom, now it’s really starting to look like a blanket. Can’t wait for Friday and week 8, I wonder if we will start working in rounds now???

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Enjoy the rest of your weekend, thanks for reading.

Take care & stay safe.

Marie @ Cosy Crochet.

Crochet Diploma – Module 4

Afternoon everyone I have just completed Module 4, Beyond the basics but before I continue I would like to say that I passed both modules 2 and 3, YAY.

This module covered Joining new colours to a project and different methods of doing this, now when I very first started to crochet I did the big No-NO, yes I admit I used to tie a knot in the yarn (oooops) I didn’t know at the time this would come undone in the wash, did anyone else tie knots when you started out?

What method of changing is the preferred way out there?

I always work new colour into the final stitch so that the new colour starts clean on the new row / stitch, this is my preferred way anyway. I then either weave the ends in or crochet them in as I go, depending on what stitch I’m doing.

Hands up, who hates weaving ends? I do, like really do so I will try and crochet them into the work as much as I possible can.

It also covered working in the front and back loops, front and back posts to create a ribbed effect, which if you’ve never done before can seem a little confusing when you are a beginner, especially back post because it just feels awkward in your hands.

Then went onto the differences between Clusters, Bobbles, Puff and Popcorn stitches, which was good to get a clear outline of the difference to each as they can sometimes be referred to as the same names depending on patterns, but there is quite a difference. I think my preference is Bobbles, Whats yours?

Well that’s my assessment submitted so fingers crossed and onto Module 5 it is.

Thanks for reading, Happy Saturday

Marie (Cosy Crochet) x