Thursday 4 August 2011

A ta-dah and a plea for yarn

Well, lookie here....it's a completed African flowers make.  Yippeeee!
Yep, it's done and dusted (and you thought all I'd been doing lately was spreading paint around the place).  This was a funny old project - I plunged into it in my usual 'feet first, engage brain later' way - I bought the yarn solely on the basis that I loved the colours and it was half price, then got it home and thought 'uuuuhhhhmm.  Okaaaay.  I wonder what happens now, then?'  Then I found the pattern for the African flowers (here) and fell head over heels in love with it; and before I knew it, I had a pile of hexagons and still not a clue what the heck to do with them!  I kept scratching my head thinking 'hmmm, maybe a bag?  Or what about a baby blanket?  Right, erm, I could make a....'  You get my drift?  But in a moment of un-inspired clarity I decided to make a cushion.  And here it is:
Oh, hang on, the crochet ninja's getting in on the act again...
And I'm jolly pleased with it too.  It's lovely and soft, and it's also squishy, and I do really, truly love the colours, and those little hexagons are a dream to make - I thoroughly recommend making them (though perhaps with a little more purpose than I had while I made mine).  
So there you have it: my African flowers cushion.  Ta-dah!
So, on the 'what's in the pipeline' front we have, firstly:
this rather sweet, but slightly un-loved child's rocking chair that I was given by a lovely lady that I used to work for.  My plans involve a lick of paint (even as I write those words I'm thinking 'whaaaat MORE painting?  Noooooooooo') and this stripy little beauty (oh, that looks suspiciously like another cushion in the making):
At the rate I'm going, the children will be afraid to sit down and watch television for too long for fear that I might decide to give them a lick of paint too - nothing in our sitting room is safe from me and brush.  Actually, thinking about it, even the thought of being covered in white eggshell probably isn't enough to impel my boys to get off the sofa and actually do something.  It might actually do some good for baby n, however; it would cetainly cover up the muck at the very least:
Hmmmm - what do you get if you cross a Calippo that's been taken out of its tube with a very dusty play park?  Sticky little toes, natch...
And the second, even more exciting thing in the pipeline involves this (just brace yourselves, how much excitement can you take in one blog post?):
Now, here's something I learned when I ordered this yarn: it's hard buying yarn on the internet if you haven't seen it in the flesh previously.  I couldn't see the colours grouped together when I ordered them, and I saw immediately I opened the package that a) the greeny colour is just wrong and b) I need more blues.
Anyhoo, I placed another little order and now have these lovely colours to play with.  And you want to know what I'm going to make?  Why, it's another blanket that's tickling my fancy.  This one is for my new-look sitting room (the springtime throw has now been relegated to the kitchen sofa - it just wouldn't look right with the grey walls, you know).  I wanted to make it with cotton, but couldn't justify buying Rowan yarn (though it is my absolute favourite), so I thought I'd give Rico creative cotton a whirl.  I bought it from this website here and I can thoroughly recommend them as their service has been very quick and friendly.  They did slightly mess up my order and sent me four balls of one colour and none of another, but when I told them about it, they were great and immediately sorted it out for me.  So I have another shade of blue to add to the collection above, but at least I've got enough to be getting on with (me and my instant gratification).  
And this is where my plea for yarn comes in (please don't have fallen asleep by this point, I know this is a waffly old post - I did warn you that my mojo's deserted me).  The mint colour has been discontinued and they only had one ball left and I need two!!!   Eeeeeek.  Does anyone have any of the mint colour knocking about, that I could have?  Pleeeeeease.  I will pay for the yarn, I will pay for the postage, I will write lovely things about you on my blog, and karma will surely repay for your kindness.... x

19 comments:

  1. The colours are gorgeous, my fave is the mint green and coral, how could they have discontinued such a lovely colour????? xxx

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  2. Love, love your african flower cushion - the colours are gorgeous.

    I've had a little rummage through my stash and I have a 'nearly almost' whole ball of Rico CC in both a pale minty blue and a pale minty green. I'd be more than happy to let you have either. Let me know if you'd like me to email you a piccie.

    Heather x

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  3. Oh, if only I could help, but alas, my fledgling yarn stash is somewhat limited.
    LOVE that African flower cushion. Great pattern too.
    Xx

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  4. Love the colours in your stripey cushion to be, so bright and funky.

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  5. Sending the cushion snatcher over to yours. When will you be out? And will you please leave your door wide open with your Treat Scarf and handbag in full view? Thank you!

    Yarn plea:
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RICO-CREATIVE-COTTON-ARAN-KNITTING-CROCHET-YARN-45-/160535644822?pt=UK_Crafts_Knitting_Crochet_EH&hash=item2560ab8a96#ht_1291wt_907

    You'll get good service from Sheila too.

    xxx

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  6. Beautiful cushion - so perfect for summer. I have been thinking about giving rico a go so I will be interested in how you get on x

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  7. Your african flower cushion is beautiful! I have been playing with this pattern too, and love how they turn out. I have some 50g balls of Rico. What is the color # for your mint green? I will see if I have it.:)

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  8. Your cushion is gorgeous, the colours are fab, but I can't work out how you have joined the hexagons? Nothing like making a new blanket to go with your new walls! I am having a mini break from painting - all the kitchen cabinets have been painted but there is still a bit of painting of shelves to do elsewhere in the house. I am sure it can wait for a week or two more. x

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  9. Love the cushion, and the stripey cushion as well. Good luck in hunting down that colour- there is nothing more frustrating is there than running out!

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  10. I have some mint too left over. Let me know if you need it.

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  11. The hexagon cushion is divine, such pretty colours and a beautiful pattern.
    Anne xx

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  12. Your african flower scarf is just gorgeous! :-) I love the girly colours, very pretty.
    Ooohh sticky toes! I have this all to look forward to when Rose starts toddling around! :S

    Ashley xxx

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  13. Congrats on having accomplished so many deliciously beautiful projects! Glad to have happened by today. =)

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  14. Gorgeous, gorgeous, big cushion love, well done you, it's just yummy and all the colours are sweet, from the above comments your problem has been solved with the minty green yarn, how exciting.

    Loving the sticky toes, my two the other day had sticky toes covered in sand....not nice!!! but I thought, instant exfoliator.

    xxxxxx

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  15. Gorgeous, as always dear!
    Have rocking chair envy, that is going to look just lovely with a lick of paint...
    Nelly xxx

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  16. it's making me laugh that I'm just behind Nelly - she's obviously visiting all the same blogs ten mins before me!
    cushion is indeed jolly lovely - you should be very pleased with yourself. How do you not get precious about anyone sitting on (/near!) it??!!
    hope you are having a happy weekend
    fee x

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  17. The African Flower cushion is beautiful, I love your choice of colours.

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  18. superbe combination of colours.. African flowers are my favourite as well :-)

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  19. Adoro esse padrão(African Flowers). A combinação de cores está linda.
    Parabéns!

    http://tricoperfeito.blogspot.com.br/

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