Making Meal Times Fun

If you've been keeping an eye on me through my Facebook page, on Twitter or through Instagram you might have spotted a new line of crochet goodies!

These pieces have grown from a rather soft spot in my heart, put there by my ever growing and learning son and the love that my other half and I have for food and all the amazing discoveries and adventures that you can have with it.

Something we both discussed, even before our little one was born, was the increased desire to introduce our children into the world of food with excitement and curiosity!

Not just to indulge in foodie wonders but to build a healthy knowledge of food, where it comes from and how it's made. 

And the memories!

Who doesn't have a fond memory of ice cream or a treasured recollection of butter on toast round their grandparents, or that sneaky toffee treat? And my word, roast dinners!

 It all adds up a wonderful way to live life, loving food.

As our little one grew and the time to introduce food came, we found that food alone doesn't always spark the interest of their ever busy minds. 

And whilst hearing of other parents difficulties, trying to convince their little one that biscuits aren't the only food in the world, I found myself developing and working on pieces to try to make eating and meal times much more fun and exciting to be a part of.

These pieces that I've brought together make sitting down at the dinner table for a delicious meal so much more exciting!

Teddy Bear Placemats and Teddy Bear Coasters, crocheted from 100% cotton, and completely washable!

They get to choose their own colour or even a few different colours to make things a bit more fun. It can be their own little job to lay the table with fun teddy bear mats and even take it as a routine queue that teddy bear tableware means food time!

My own boy has a blue bear (as pictured above) and calls out "Teddy Bear!" if I've forgotten to get his placemat out for lunch. In fact, I need to make him a new one to alternate as they go through the wash, it's becoming a solid part of his routine which not only helps with meal times, but is starting to fill me with the most amazing feeling of having designed and made something that's really helping my son.

I hope these help other little ones to get excited about wonderful, new eating experiences and if nothing else, to make the dining table a more fun place to sit and enjoy time with the family!

Folksy Shop

Etsy Shop

#MakeMealTimesFun

x

Pure Wool Love

Unfortunately the bug is still in the house and now we're all poorly!

*cue sarcastic woop!*

Fingers crossed the bucketfuls of hot lemon and vapour rub will see us right

I don't know if it's just me, but I refuse to work on anything for my customers whilst I'm ill. I don't know, it just doesn't feel right, especially if it's a wonderful snuggly blanket for a little one!

So, work aside, I've decided to treat myself to a few crochet goodies myself!

Today's project, a lovely crocheted bowl made from a gorgeous pure wool from The Lost Gardens of Heligan 

Since I started my love of wool through felting, it's always been very important to me to make sure that the wool I use is actually wool and not a plastic hybrid.
I love wool! 

It's beautiful, practical, wonderful to work with and in all honesty pure magic!

Read a few points here to get an idea of its total awesomeness:

http://www.campaignforwool.org/about-wool/ 

I thought I'd treat my house to a pure wool bowl (it's found a home in my bathroom, keeping all of my hair bobbles in one tidy place at the moment).

It's a very simple crochet pattern, but I'll write it down in case you want to have a go:

(UK crochet pattern)

Using a crochet hook sized 4.50mm

and Heligan Garden Twine, 100% pure wool

~ Ch 4 and sl st

(working in continuous rounds)

~ htr 12 sts into the centre circle

~ 2htr into every st

~2htr in the 1st st and 1 htr in the next st - repeat to the end of the round

~ 2htr in the next st and 1 htr in the next 2 st - repeat to the end of the round

~ 2htr in the next st and 1 htr in the next 3 st - repeat to the end of the round

~ dc into the front loop of each st to the end of the round

(changing to a size 4mm hook)

~ dc in every st to the end of the round

~ repeat the previous step for another 8 rounds ( or to your desired height)

~ change the colour of your yarn for the finishing st (I chose a scrap piece of blue yarn from my stash. You don't need much)

~ sl st to the end of the round

~ fasten off

I love how the twine gives the bowl more rigidity than what a softer wool would.
I've made bowls from normal, household string before too, and that's worked out quite well.
Perhaps even replace the blue edging for red and make an adorable Xmasy bowl and fill it with treats for a present with a personal touch!


Fall in love with wool!

x

A Toy Box DIY

 How to make fun little toy boxes out of used milk cartons:

Do you find that you've got far too many baby bits and bobs lying around the house without a home?
Here's a super simple way to keep things tidy but still an attractive decoration and easy to personalise!

Make sure you have thoroughly washed out your box and it's completely dry.

First cut the top off at your desired height. If you want a shallower box, simply cut further down from the top.

Then, using a basic acrylic paint of your choice, start painting your box! 

A couple of coats will be needed to cover the writing,

and if you want the box to be more hard wearing, a coat of gloss or PVA should give it a nice finish.

To cover those raggedy edges up and give the box a homely feel, I felt a cosy crochet cuff would work lovely, or even a fabric one would work too.

Crochet cuff:

• Cast on and chain stitch to the circumference of your box
• Then undo 3 or 4 stitches (This will make the cuff slightly tighter than the box opening so that it will hug the box close and not slip down
• Slip stitch into the 1st chain to create a circle.
• Then single crochet (or double crochet - depending on if you use US or UK patterns) 8 rounds
• And cast off your stitching

You can make your cuff longer or shorter depending on how much of your box you would like to cover.

Once the paint on your box is dry, wrap your cuff around the rim of your box and fold half of it into your new toy box to give the edges a lovely finished touch.

Ta da!

A simple, cute and fun way to turn milk boxes into toy boxes!

x

Crochet Love

 

 

Sorry I haven't been very bloggy of late folks!

I seem to be having my time zapped away from me lately

How it's the middle of August already is beyond me!

 

I hope you're all having a lovely, summery month!

I've been seeing lots of family and friends, going on lots of little baby shopping sprees and I'll be off to visit Scotland at the end of the week!

I can't wait!

 

 

 

I've also been finding myself diving into the crochet world a little more this month.

I've dipped in and out in the past, seeing all of these lovely creations people have been making with a simple hook a yarn.

I was quite jealous.

I managed to teach myself the very basics using books and YouTube tutorials, but once I'd figured out how it worked, I admit, I became less interested and didn't pursue it further.

 

But recently, I've been venturing back into it.

With little bump getting bigger and bigger, I've been starting to think about things that I would like my little baby to have. Little keepsakes like I have.

And I have 2 very lovely crocheted blankets, made for me by my Gramma.

One of them was my baby blanket, and I want my little wriggler to have one too!

Especially seeing as it'll be a winter baby. I want it to be all warm and cosy, snuggled into a homemade blanket.

 

So - back to the hook I go!

 

I've just been focusing on making a granny square style blanket.

I'm aiming to get 2 done before baby pops

~ One, quite loose using a larger hook, in pastel purples and white.

~ And one, more tightly crocheted, stronger, and more a collection of little, different coloured squares.

 

I haven't got any photos to show you yet, but I will take some soon!

 

 

This is the same granny square idea that I'm going to work with.

I made this small blanket for a family member's new little baby boy.

I think he likes it!

 

 

I have to admit, I'm surprising myself with how much I'm falling in love with crochet!

 

I followed a pattern in my

Mollie Makes

magazine and made this adorable bow brooch

 

And I will be hopping back to their website for more crochet inspiration!

 

:)

 

 

I think I've got the bug.

I'm finding myself wondering what I can attack with my crocheting hook next!

 

 

 

One of my lovely followers on my Facebook page told me about an online crocheting club that I couldn't resist joining too.

 

 

 

slugsontherefrigerator

 

 

And Innocent Drinks are doing their Big Knit!

http://www.innocentdrinks.ie/static/ie/bigknit/crochet-pattern.pdf





Mwahaha, so many things to keep my new crocheting addiction busy!

And, with my sensible head on, it might be a better thing to be addicted to when baby comes along too.

- Less spiky needles involved!

*baby kicks in agreement*

 

 

On a sneaky side note, I couldn't resist a bit of knitting as well.

So many woollen adventures!

 

I decided to try to make a small, very amateur attempt at knitted bunting!

 

With pom poms of course!

 

Not too shabby?

 

Hopefully I'll get better in time to make more fun things for the little one when it gets here.

I just hope the poor little thing likes wool!!

 

 

I would advise anyone and everyone to have a go at crocheting something.

It's very therapeutic, and being able to create something useful/decorative with a simple hook is so rewarding!

Join the Crochet Club for beginners help, they're lovely folk!

 

 

Hope you're having a lovely day all!

 

x