Friday, May 27

a bit of 'lo and beholdness' in the shed...

do you recall a certain lovely thrift store blanket?
no need to fret about your recall skills, nor mutter under your breathe
"blimey Tif, i can hardly recall what i had for dinner last night, let alone your thrifty finds"
for i have provided an image to help, i know its friday and the week has been long so i do not wish you to have to mutter under your breathe because of me.


actually i can recall what i had for dinner last night, a rare occurrence indeed. not 'having dinner', the recalling it bit. it was a meal of orange with a hint of green. it was completely home cooked and surprisingly appealing looking, therefore worthy of recall in my mind.
however it is not about my culinary delights today, no sirree! it is all about Mille and her crocheting kindness.

upon finding my lovely thrift store blanket, then gifting it to another i continued about my life.


then one day Mille appeared, she told me how the blanket had inspired her to make one for herself and as she had trouble finding a pattern for it, very cleverly (i am thinking) worked it out from my blanket! this had me very delighted and even more so when she wrote up her 'something pretty' pattern and was happy to share it with us. thank you so kindly Mille for inspiring me to pick up Mr Hook again and others i am quite sure.
i am totally in love with Mille's use of colours, this is so often where i trip up but not today, for today i am riding high, higher than i have ever ridden in my short history of crochet riding...

for you see, thanks to the brilliant Mille, a small miracle came to pass last night in Mossy Shed.
as i sat, pondering her pattern with Mr Hook in hand and a ball of gray (see what i mean about colour), i established two rounds of petals and instead of doing as i was told and finishing up with a round of granny square to complete the one petaled square, a little voice whispered in my ear.


that little voice tempted me to do another round of petals, it questioned if indeed i could perhaps go another round or two after that. it was daring me to aim for a circle of crocheted goodness. i made a silent promise to Mille i would come back to her squares after i had ventured off with my little voice


never in my short span of crocheting career (do i have one) have i managed a circle of muchness. but i was feeling reckless, i was in my new snug, cozy, crafty hangout upstairs tucked out of the way of my clan, i was feeling anything was possible at that moment in time. the world of crocheting was my oyster.
and so it would appear the crocheting circle gods were in line, for row after row of petals and hour after hour of me sitting there listening to the early morning show on Radio 2 had me believing that miracles do happen. as i stood to go to bed, a little achy and creaky, well past my due date of hitting the sack, i laid my crocheted circle offering down and right there and then, a chorus of angels appeared, (singing quietly cause it was late) and glory shone down on me.
a crocheted circle of 'lo and beholdness' had been born and not an ounce of 'colour iffyness' about it.


she is wishing you a bit of 'lo and beholdness' yourselves this weekend ~ Tif

47 comments:

Syntax and Salt said...

YAY! I've been trying to work out a pattern in the same way. This is awesome and thank you for sharing.

Unbuttoned said...

The colors really are lovely. It's like a cupcake wrapped in Grammie's sweater. Beautiful!

Ilaria Chiaratti Bonomi said...

Lovely pattern! I did the same after your post, this is my cushion:
http://idainteriorlifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/04/thrift-finds-crochet-and-just-little.html
Thank you for all these inspirations! ;-)
Ilaria

greenrabbitdesigns said...

Wow, that is a great circle indeed!!
Does Little Olive take cuteness lessons?? :)
Vivienne x

Anonymous said...

Dear Dottie,

I just am sending this e-note to say
how much I enjoy each and every post you write. You have such a way of drawing the child in me to come out to play once more. I thank you for this very much and sincerly. Wishing you and yours a lovely weekend . You're such a fairy princess to me, altogether lovely.
Best,
Elise

Jacomijn said...

Oh I like that very much !!!
Say Tif, are you, by any chance, going to show us your new crafty hangout ??? Pretty pleaeaease ?!!
:o)

Teresa Kasner said...

Oh, dear Tif. I read your last two posts out loud to my husband and we both laughed and laughed. I love your sense of humor and how you write. You make me happy.

Hubby wants to know what you'll do with your circle of puffy crochet. I opined that it might become a pillow?

Funny.. we have a gate upstairs to keep our Cairn Terrier, Buddy, out of the cat box area. Pesky little doggies!

((hugs)), Teresa :-)

hlimbrick said...

Congrats on the circle-y goodness! Am definitely going to add that pattern to my list of 'must make soon'. :)

Juliab said...

I loved that peachy blanket the moment I saw it and I can't believe you gave it to the dog (although Olive is so super cute, you had no choice really!). Funnily enough, I have been trying to find a pattern for a round blanket ever since my daughter said she wanted a crocheted circular blanket. I was so excited as normally she never lets me make anything for her and I am intrigued to make a round blanket, I mean you don't often see a round blanket, do you? I am ordering the yarn this weekend (colours have already been decided - not what I would have chosen, but what's it got to do with me?) Can't wait to have a go at this pattern, all other WIP's and planned projects have been shelved! Thanks for the inspiration. x

Sarah said...

I love your circle of goodness, but I love little Olive more - she is super cute!!

S x

Elizabeth said...

There have had thoughts of this little blanket swimming in my mind from the first time I laid eyes on it. I am so glad someone has put together a pattern. I think I shall have to use the same colors as the original though, they are just perfection.

MERCEDES said...

te quedo una presiosura!!!!! por mas momentos de rebelion y osadia!!!! jajajaj, besos.-

dottie angel said...

well thank you kindly dearest readers, i am quite sure Mille will be most pleased with how much we appreciate her pattern!
as for what i am making with my circle of 'lo and beholdness', well i have aimed bigger than i have ever aimed before and will be showing you the results as and when my aiming comes to an end :)

wishing you a lovely weekend and thank you kindly as always for the lovely lovely words you leave me daily, i am so fortunate to have you visit with me.

Donna -Little Tiny Stitches said...

Tif, this would make a lovely rug! And it's so sweet in it's puffiness.

I'm going to have to pop over to Millies and join in with the hookiness...
Thankyou for sharing lovely Tif :o)

Have a lovely weekend and I hope the sun shines for you.
Donna xxOO

koralee said...

ALL I can say is that is one lucky pup...if only my bed looked that amazing. Hugs. xoxo

Sécia Mischke said...

So cute! Love the photos.

♥ sécia
www.petiteinsanities.blogspot.com

Leah said...

I'm doing a little happy dance, woot...love love love that blanket and your circle too! Now to collect colours....
Thanks tif

Becky said...

I love the colors.
I love your pup.
I love your writing.
And - I also am prone to a little Radio 2 with some crafting.

Carolyn said...

I love your circle of goodness. This is awesome and thank you for sharing.

Silver MLM

PeregrineBlue said...

yummy clumpiness

mille said...

thank you for all the kind words, tif! and for being all shary about the wonderful beauty of the blanket that's had so many of us drooling :) i'm happy to have boosted your crochet energy, i must say i've been in the ditch for a while myself, but this pattern totally got me back on the road! to keep on circling like you're doing has crossed my mind, and it is really cool to see your result so far - looks very pretty grandma-vintage like..!

flo said...

SO lovely.
Your Blog is nice.
Sweet week-end

Michelle said...

Dear Tif...
You have become a "roundie" after all...
I knew you could do it...it just took the right pattern and time...
I love it!!!
I can see a round granny cushion or even large rug in the future...

Small Things Simple Pleasures said...

Colours can be so tricky - not here obviously. I would never have put these colours together, but I'm so glad you did because now I know they work!

Bonnie said...

Hi Tif
Such a lovely crocheted circle of goodness! Love the colors you have chosen and looking forward to the end result! I agree with another reader...please show us your crafty hangout!?

Olive is sooooooo sweet....I want to cuddle her and I love that orange thrifty find! I am far more likely to remember a thrifty find (even if not my own-than what I had for supper last night!)

Genevieve said...

The pattern & colours are beautiful. One day I if I can put knitting aside long enough I will learn to crochet.

Lidyll said...

What A BEAUTIFUL blog you have!*smile*
...such lovely pictures, and lovely words*smile*

...I`m in love; So now I am your new follower*smile*

Wish for a lovely weekend fr you and yours!

XOXO

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

Tif, my children came in while I was reading your blog and said to me "do you want us to tell you a story?" I told them I was reading a story (I'm not usually reading blogs when they are awake) and they were incredulous. So I read your post to them, right from your first tempting whispers holding Mr. Hook. And I was delighted to discover that your stories read even more delightful aloud. We all like your lovely flower. Aria says she "likes your story and that she tells story too, both to herself and to my mom, sometimes".

Sara said...

Once again your postings are lovely and pretty. I am deeply jealous of your sofa. Is this the Ikea Allerum? I have one whose cover tore many moons ago and have tried to give it a new cover, alas. At the moment it is wearing a single sheet of red (argh?!). Would you share how you made this, particularly the back piece? Most gracious of your response.

jen storer said...

I have beheld your beholdeness, tif, and believe it is The Vision Splendid. jx

Katelyn said...

This blanket square looks a lot like "Dahlia No.38" in Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yoork/5681002455/in/set-72157626509451681

That's the sample I did from the book, and when I saw this blankie it reminded me of it. only, it's more rounded but it could easily be done using this pattern.

:-)

silverpebble said...

It is like a Catherine wheel of pastel bon bons. Truly, any Granny would be filled with sheer delight looking at that there woolly goodness.

Patricia said...

Oh I remember very well when you bought your new thrift blanket. I was just so surprised how lucky you were to have found something so lovely and so very you.

I love what you are doing with the pattern, it looks interesting and a quite unique :)

Charis said...

Lovely lovely lovely... off to fit a bit of 'lo & beholdness' into my day...

Eleni said...

Aiming bigger than you have ever aimed before? I can barely wait to see the results! T'would be rather puffy to be a tablecloth, and we have already established it is not going to be a cushion...the mind boggles!

dottie angel said...

i have been unplugged working on the redo of upstairs in the shed and i come back today and find all your fabby lovely comments left to cheer my day!
thank you so kindly, i have so enjoyed reading them, delighted so many of you are inspired to get a little hooking done yourselves!
thanks of course to our Mille who started us all on the righteous path...

love the idea of a rug or blanket, brilliantly brilliant, but of course that is not what i went for. what i went for i will show at the end of the week when i can get a good photo and yes, i will also show my crafty snug hangout space when i finish up on it over the next few days.

thank you again for brightening my blog with your kindness
x

dottie angel said...

Rachel, i loved your story, this has warmed my heart and thank you to Aria for her message :)

Sara, yes it is one of those IKEA sofa beds, to be honest with you i could never tell you how i did it, other than i piece and pin fabric together, cutting it to fit and then stitch it as i go. the bottom has twill tape running through the hem and it is tied at the back, gathering it in so stays in place...

dottie angel said...

Katelyn, agreed it does look similar but i think there must be more double crochets in each petal for the one i have worked on, via Mille's pattern. it is more bobbly in texture and does not lie as flat. but i think the technique looks to be similar, thank you kindly for sharing with us!

Sara said...

Tif, thank you so much for such a personal response, I love the idea of twill tape on the cover - tres terrific. Yes, it is just a matter of piecing and tweaking with this sofa. I may venture yet to resurrect my red sofa.

dottie angel said...

Sara, you can do it, i just know it... if i can then i have high hopes for you. good luck my dear!

Patricia said...

I am guessing and saying that you are making a circular rug with your new roundy round. :)

Marlene P. said...

You are just awesome. Thats it. You are the one who got me to crochet and knit and sew (returning me to my spirt and love for crafting). You inspire me!I want to make something impressive enough to photograph or even gift to a friend. Awee...someday.

dottie angel said...

marlene! gosh thank you :) i am delighted you have been inspired and how lovely for others to be gifted something you made by hand. hurrah for you and your crafty soul.

nope Patricia, tis not a rug or mat... but it is finished now and next week all will be revealed!

catnap said...

Love the crochet. Couldn't help but send you this link because it looks like Olive.
http://willewopsie.blogspot.com/2011/05/mini-teckel.html

☼ Carolina ☼ said...

♥ . ♥ . ♥♥ . ♥ . ♥
Nice Blog!!
congratulations
from Chile
c@
♥ . ♥ . ♥♥ . ♥ . ♥

Dani said...

I love this! While I don't think I would want a round blanket [though I do like the idea], all I can think is 'what if you made this one big granny square?' That'd be a pretty cool blanket!

Tracy said...

If you wrote a book, I would buy it. Reading your blog posts is like the part of the book you don't want to end....