Over the weekend we changed from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time, putting the clocks back by an hour so that the mornings are lighter (chickens up earlier) and the evenings darker (Max wants to be fed at 5pm). The implications for me are that I’m even more tempted to snuggle down in the evenings with tea, cake and a crochet hook or set of knitting needles.
Squares and Ripples
I am trying very hard not to start any new projects, but this isn’t much of a problem because my crochet sofa covers allow me to work on different bits using different techniques. With this in mind, over the weekend I made a start on the third of the cushion covers. The first uses Attic24’s ripple pattern and is awaiting completion once I’ve sourced some suitable buttons. The second requires 32 granny squares, of which I have made about 20 – some from my new crochet book Connect the Shapes.
Bavarian square
And so, having been itching to have a proper go at it, cushion number three is in Bavarian crochet. I made a small square using this technique and following Dani’s brilliant tutorial on Teddy and Tottie for the Masterpiece and I have been wanting to make something bigger ever since. Dani sent me a square that is also in the Masterpiece, so I had a beautiful example to follow… always a help when you are learning a new stitch. I made good progress and now I have got the pattern in my head it’s going rather well.
The sofa is currently plain dark blue… I think it’s going to be much more exciting when covered with all this lot (and more):
All destined to be part of the sofa covers
The Snail of Happiness 
katechiconi
/ October 27, 2014Lovely squares and ripples. I couldn’t face the idea of sitting with something warm in my lap; we’re getting hotter each day, and it’ll carry on until December. Then just after Christmas we’ll have the big Wet and cyclone season will start. Curiously, Queensland doesn’t change between Summer and Winter time like virtually everyone else; being a bit closer to the equator, our days are more even in length anyway…
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014I’m rather fond of the seasons and love long summer evenings. The few times we have been *really* close to the equator, I’m always slightly disappointed that the days are (relatively) so short!
I guess that I’d be having to knit small things if I lived where you do… possibly in cotton… so I didn’t end up excessively insulated.
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katechiconi
/ October 27, 2014It makes me wonder at my own sanity in sitting hand quilting on a hot evening with pounds of fabric draped all around!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014I wouldn’t like to comment considering that I was edging the Masterpiece in the middle of the summer!
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teddyandtottie
/ October 27, 2014Thanks so much for the lovely mention, Mrs. Snail. Your Bavarian square is magnificent – love the colours! I get a huge thrill when I see your amazing Masterpiece in your posts – and there’s my square! Yay! I was so very fortunate to be a part of such a project. Also, just being mentioned in the same post as the incredible Attic 24 has made my heart go a little fluttery. You sure know how to make an old gal’s day! I’m more than a little jealous of your being at that time of the year when you can “snuggle down in the evenings with tea, cake and a crochet hook or set of knitting needles.” We are at the time of the year where hard yards in the garden are called for or the weeds will completely take over! xoxoxox
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014Your tutorial is fab – in the end I printed it out (including all the pictures) because it was just so easy to follow that way. I simply can’t do with moving images, but photos of every step are perfect for me. In addition, of course, I was lucky enough to have your square that I could examine to be extra certain about what my work should look like. The ‘Connect the Shapes’ book also has instructions, but yours are much easier for me to follow because they are so detailed. You completely deserve a mention along with Lucy at Attic24!
Hope you are keeping on top of those weeds… there’s work to do in my garden too, but the weather is not encouraging me to get out there and do it, especially when there are sticky toffee cupcakes here inside!
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hotelgoddess
/ October 27, 2014gorgeous!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014Thank you!
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davidprosser
/ October 27, 2014I’m sure this is going to look fantastic when finished.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014I do hope so!
xxx GMT hugs xxx
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narf77
/ October 27, 2014Tea, cake and a crochet hook or set of knitting needles. Sounds like pure heaven to me :). I am at the opposite end of the equation where I am up early, out the door, working in the garden and wish I had 8 arms like an octopus in order to allow me to multitask more efficiently…make that 10 arms like a squid, you can never have enough arms! I am in love with purple and your collection of purples and creams has me salivating. Gorgeous stuff Ms Snail and evenings well spent methinks 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014I’m not missing the gardening at the moment… although the pie melons are still running rampant… the crochet is just too much fun! Still, I really should be out there mulching and weeding…
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narf77
/ October 27, 2014Gardens are time traps but what delicious time traps they are and how very rewarding 🙂
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thecontentedcrafter
/ October 27, 2014Here’s another of your devoted readers on the other end of the seasonal scale . Yet I too am currently working another Bavarian blanket up! My effort from Dani’s tutorial was such a raging success that requests have been made and now I have one in shades of green in process! Knowing what your sofa covers colours are first hand so to speak [I have samples 🙂 ] I am looking forward to seeing this made up and in situ – I am inspired by your project! I have also got that connect book and have yet to have a good try of all the different patterns and your idea of working the same colour palette in different pattern is uber exciting! I have a feeling I might be wishing for a wet, cool summer 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014Oh yes, I’d forgotten that you had ‘samples’ of the yarn. When I was making the link to Dani’s tutorial, I checked out your post with the picture of your first blanket (you may have noticed my ‘like’ – it predated me ‘following’ your blog)… it is so beautiful, I am not surprised you have had requests… I assume one of them was from Siddy! On which note, it was nice to read a little of his history.
Having a set of colours to use for the sofa is quite liberating. I’m looking forward to creating more of the squares from the Connect book, but in different colour combinations (and actually following the instructions rather than starting with them then getting a bit free-form!) to see how different they look.
Siddy and Orlando (why do I always want to call him Oscar?) will not, I am sure, appreciate a cool wet summer!
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thecontentedcrafter
/ October 27, 2014Orlando has a cat-cousin called Oscar and knows [even though he would prefer not to] another dog called Oscar! Maybe it spills over 🙂
I hadn’t caught up with you going back in time on my blog – so thank you for that. I love my blue Bavarian!
I am impressed that you free-form off a design first time through – I only do that in the kitchen with recipes!
I am still in the thinking about stage of the dangler – though I feel it may be time to stop thinking and start doing!
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claidig
/ October 27, 2014At least you’re making useful things. I just keep making creatures and run out of places to put them 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2014I’m sure your creatures will find good homes! Make them a sofa to sit on!!
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claidig
/ October 27, 2014You’re giving me ideas, stop it! 🙂
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KerryCan
/ October 28, 2014What an ambitious project! But, we’re heading into the long nights/short days time of year here, too, and I know that I always tend toward complicated projects now, too. This is going to lead you to one special couch!
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