Liebster Award - Forcing me to write again

It's been (almost a) year since my last blog, and I'm walking around with this little nagging voice in my head, reminding me to start blogging again. Then, this morning, a hooky friend from Facebook nominates me for a Liebster Award and suddenly I'm thrown back into the wonderful world of blogging.  Thank you Lani Bester for the nomination.  Please read Lani's beautiful new blog, Crochetworx, here.

So I'll get straight to the questions Lani has asked me:


Who taught you to crochet/knit?

The earliest crocheting I can remember (that's apart from my grandmother who ALWAYS had a hook in her hand when she was seated, was that of a friend asking me to help her do a blanket for her Dad and his new bride.  I was in grade 2, and she taught me the basics of a granny square.

What do you enjoy most working from a pattern, diagram or do your own thing?

I love working from a diagram and I am always looking for Russian or Japanese patterns, as they follow diagrams.  It's  so wonderful to think you can follow a pattern in a total foreign language just because you understand the diagrams. I wonder if that counts as a language? :)

What is your favourite crochet stitch pattern, i.e. basket weave, shells etc?

I love the good old granny pattern, but I enjoy trying new patterns. At the moment I am doing a lot of baby clothing for my grandchildren and it's nice to be able to try out new patterns and textures.

Who is your favourite designers?

I don't really have a favourite designer, but simply love all the ideas I find on Facebook and on the internet. I am part of a few Facebook crochet groups, and I am stunned daily by the creativity of people.

What do you like to crochet?

At the moment, baby clothes, but I love all forms of crochet. A nice blanket with beautiful colours inspires me. I live in a very warm part of our country though, and what I crochet is determined strongly by the season, as it would be very difficult to crochet thick big blankets in summer.
Who inspires you?

What is your favourite quote?

Even this will pass.

Where do you crochet?

Mostly in front of the tv. I once read that you know you are addicted to crocheting if you are on Season 3 of a tv series and you only know the voices of the people in it.  That's me! I don't watch tv, I listen tv.

Who do you crochet with?

On my own mostly, but I take work with me everywhere so I have no problem crocheting in public and in good company. I have spent a few hours crocheting on airports too.

What other crafts do you enjoy?

I have tried my hand at quilting and loved it. But other than that, I prefer to read.

Now I need to nominate a few fellow blog gals, I love following blogs as you can see from my favourites list, and I nominate:

Christelle from Haak en Stekie
Natasha from Crochetime

The questions you need to answer are the following:

1. What is the name of your favourite yarn and why is it your favourite?
2. What is your favourite type of project (clothing, rugs, afghans, etc)?
3. Is your yarn stash well organised or all over the place?
4. Is there enough yarn in your stash to make an entire blanket from?
5. What is your favourite crochet hook brand and why?
6. What is your happy colour?
7. How many WIPs do you have right now?
8. Where is your favourite hooky place?
9. What two words best describe you?
10. What do you think will be remembered about you when you are gone?

Please visit each of these blogs and follow them! Through the Liebster Award we grow our blog following.

Nuwe jaar, nuwe dinge

Aan al my hekelmaters en vriende, beste wense vir 'n baie gelukkige, voorspoedige en kreatiewe 2014.  Mag julle in hierdie jaar net vreugde en vrede beleef.

To all my crochet and other friends, I wish you a happy and creative 2014.  May your year be filled with happiness and peace.

Eerstens moet ek verskoning vra omdat ek so stil geraak het aan die einde van verlede jaar.  Dit was 'n dolle jaar en op die oomblik gaan dit maar nog steeds woes.  Nietemin, al het ek nie geblog nie, het ek defnitief tyd gemaak vir heerlike hekel en opwindende projekte.

First of all, please accept my apologies for not blogging much at the end of last year.  It was a very busy year and things are not quite looking better at the moment.  I did, however, make time for crocheting, even if I didn't blog about it.



 Hier is 'n paar hekelwerk items wat ek op tv raakgesien het

Here are a few crochet items I picked up while watching television

 Nie seker ek deel 3rd Rock from the Sun se smaak nie!

'n Mooi kombers in Mike and Molly

Nog 'n kombers in Mike and Molly. Indien julle hierdie reeks volg, kyk gerus watter mooi komberse hulle elke week op die bed het!


Bietjie hekelwerk van my eie.  Ek het 'n mat van T-hemp wol gemaak vir my ma se badkamer

'n Omvou serpie vir my vakansie later vanjaar

 En die begin van 'n grooooooot kombers

Ek het ook tyd gemaak om my wol kas reg te pak.  

 

Die mussies wat ek vir Brian gehekel het, was eers te groot maar hy groei so vinnig dat ek binnekort nuwes sal moet hekel!

Vir eers is dit al van my kant.  Ek is binnekort terug met nog 'n paar goed wat ek klaargemaak het!

Groetnis tot volgende keer!



That's all for now.  I will be back soon with more finished projects

Best wishes until next time!

Bietjie van die en bietjie van daai.....

Net 'n paar vinnige foto's van hekelwerk wat ek in die laaste rukkie gedoen het. Dit gaan maar dol by my maar ek sal binnekort weer 'n ordentlike inskrywing doen!

Twee katjies vir 'n dogterjie en haar boetie!

'n BAIE ou poppie het nuwe klere gekry (nadat sy eers 'n goeie bad gehad het)

Die rimpel kombers het veilig in die Kaap aangekom

 

 En ek het nog 'n fantasie kombers gemaak, hierdie keer vir my seun se vriendin vir haar verjaardag.

Nog 'n rippel klaar

Die Rippel wat ek vir my seun gemaak het, is klaar! 

I finished the ripple blanket for my son!
 


Ek is so bly dat ek hierdie kombers kan pos terwyl die winter nog nie heeltemel oor is in die Kaap nie.  Hier by ons begin dit klaar ongemaklik raak om aan 'n groot kombers te werk, en ek sal vir eers aan kleiner projekte werk, of die lugverkoelers moet aansit!

I am so glad that I can post this blanket while it's still cold in Cape Town. In Malelane it's getting uncomfortable to work on large projects now, and I will have to either work on smaller projects or sit very close to the air conditioner now!

Vinnis Kombers - Ta da da dammm!

Die Vinnis Kombers waarvan ek vertel het, is klaar!  Ek is absoluut en totaal mal oor hierdie kombers. Die katoen gee dit so 'n lekker gewig, en dit voel soos 'n regte trooskombersie.  Ek het gesê ek gaan dit vir myself hou, maar heelaas..... Ek gee dit weg.  Toemaar, ek sal wel weer een maak.

The Vinnis Blanket I told you about, is finished! I am absolutely and totally crazy about this blanket.  The Cotton I used has a nice weight to it, and feels like a real comfort blanket.  I know I said I'm keeping this one, but alas.... I'm giving it away. Not to worry, I'll soon make another one for myself.

 

Intussen werk ek aan 'n rippel kombers vir my seun. Hy was dadelik verlief op die een wat ek vir my kleinseun gehekel het, en het vir homself ook een bestel.  Kyk net hoe mooi is die kleure.

In the meantime, I'm working on a ripple blanket for my son.  He saw the one I made for my gransdson, and loved it, so i had to make one for him too.  Look at the lovely colours!

 

 

Na die Vinnis "fantasy blanket" het ek ook begin om een in Elle Pure Gold te doen, met ryker kleure.  Hierdie patroon hekel so maklik en lekker, dis vir my regtig soos 'n storie kombers.  Dalk kan mens ander rye met verskillende patrone inwerk? Ek hou julle op hoogte!

After the fantasy blanket made from Vinnis, I also started one in Elle Pure Gold, in richer colours. This pattern is so easy and nice to crochet, and feels like a story to me, with different patterns. I really enjoy these blankets, they are fun to make.

Vinnis vir Vrouedag

Verlede week bestel ek vir my Vinnis wol sodat ek 'n nuwe projek kan hê om aan te werk oor die langnaweek. (ja NOG 'n WIP)!

Maryna Fouche stuur oornag vir my die bestelling, en ek begin sommer Donderdag aand al werk aan my weergawe van die "Fantasy Blanket" waarvan ek gelees het.

Dis 'n heerlike patroon, en ek geniet dit regtig so dat ek feitlik die hele naweek deur hekel.  Die Vinnis het die mooiste kleure en ek hou van die gewig van die wol wat mens voel in die eindproduk.  

Ek is tans besig met die rand en sal binnekort die voltooide kombers wys.  Ek dink hierdie kombers word my geskenk aan myself vir vrouedag!

Last week I ordered some Vinnis cotton, so that i will have a new project to work on over the long weekend (yes, ANOTHER WIP)!

Maryna Fouche sent the order on the overnight mail, and I started on Thursday evening, working on my version of the "Fantasy Blanket" that I read about.

It's such a lovely pattern and I really enjoyed working on it so much, that I worked right through the weekend.  The Vinnis colours are beautiful, and I love the weight that the finished product has.

I am currently busy doing the border, and will do the big reveal shortly! I think this blanket will be a Women's Day Gift from me to me!

Twee geskenkies

Ek het die laaste ruk gewerk aan twee komberse as geskenkies vir twee baie oulike dames.Omdat ek graag die twee komberse gelyk wou klaar hê, het ek ses rye (drie kleure) van die riffelkombers gehekel, en dan een bol wol van die ouma reghoek. So het ek darem goed gevorder op albei.

My toesighouers hou inspeksie

Verskoon asb die wasgoed, dit was een van ons min reënerige dae in Malelane!

 En ek is klaar!