Meet Monica Monkey!

Isn’t she simply adorable dear reader? I bet you didn’t realise just how cute a monkey in a dress could be. Of course Monica is extremely aware of how cute she is and just loves having her photo taken…

So is often to be found hanging around in front of a camera…

…ready for a chic shot; she’s such a cheeky little diva! She’s my latest crocheted creature creation and I’ve already made a start on designing a doggie version. Doggie won’t be wearing a dress however, for I am going to create a ‘boyish’ ensemble for him, such fun!

As you know dear reader chum, I completed my ‘shape’ weaving last time and you’ll be pleased to know that I have now found a place for it in my humble abode…

Looks lovely nestled amongst my twinkly-twiggy lights does it not? I am also rather chuffed with how another monochrome creation of mine is coming along – the house pillow I might have waffled on about in a previous bloggings. Well, exciting news dear reader, for I have managed to incorporate a new ‘triangulationy’ pattern into my knitting for the roof section…

Looks lush doesn’t it? So pleased with my triangliness and still keeping with the triangly theme, here’s a trianglings doodlings…

I can’t decide whether to add colour or not, what do you reckon dear reader? Still sort of with the triangle thing, here’s a progress pic of the lacy diamond pattern knitting on my latest neck cosie, in a lovely beachy-seasidey kind of coloured yarn…

Really liking those colours together. If you fancy having a read of some other knitting blogs, I can recommend a couple of my faves:
● http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com
● http://www.knitandtonic.net
● http://coco-knits.blogspot.com
-all full of lovely eye-candy knitting pics, but if crochet is more of your ‘thing’ try these:
● http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog
● http://sandra-cherryheart.blogspot.com
● http://annemarieshaakblog.blogspot.com
I’ll share some more of my fave bloggy reads next time as that’s it for this week dear reader, so remember: craft long, craft well…

Floating Happy as a Cloud…

Yes I’m in a ‘happy-floaty-dreamy-cloud’ kind of a mood at the moment dear reader, for I have finished many-many WIP’s, including a couple of squishy cloud pillows. The first completed cloud can be seen in the pretty pic floating above here; it’s a hanging version with hand-embroidered wording and shiny beads on sparkling silver thread. A little bit of hanging heaven☆ My other completed cloud pillow is of the rather larger variety, more of your normal cushion size, with hand-embroidered wording once again. When I started to work on it I wasn’t sure what other decorative bits-and-bobs I was going to adorn it with, but as I was stitching away a daisy popped into my head (as it does from time to time) and indeed a crocheted daisy fitted the whole ensemble perfectly – I hope you agree…

I just love daisies, such a happy flower don’t you think? Keeping to the pillow theme, have a ganders at my latest cushion design – an embroidered star☆ which once again has hand-embroidered wording…

…and is made from fabric with teeny-tiny stars on it. Ooh, and modeled by one of my darling daughters: my little star, holding a star☆ and ‘sew’ on to more sewing (pardon the pun) for I have finally sewn up my two doggie plushies: a sweet sausage doggie…

…a darling Dascshund indeed, who was often to be found in my garden, dashing around after daisies…

…while Scottie Doggie plushie was totally captivated by butterflies, bless him…

Pleased as punch with my plushies dear reader, so expect to see more soon in other fabrics. Now for something completely different (but still crafty, fear not) a little bit of weaving! Yes I finally managed to weave a triangle into my woven wall-hanging and added some totally terrific tassels along the edge, then mounted it on to a darling piece of driftwood I discovered on one of my beachcombing forages. Want to see it?

My little bit of monochrome magic, which looks marvelous on my lounge wall. So pleased with the triangle, so shall attempt another weaving with more triangles, now I’ve got the hang of it. If you fancy having a go yourself dear reader, ‘A Beautiful Mess’ blog has some great weaving-related ideas, so head on over to http://www.abeautifulmess.com and search for ‘weaving.’

Now for knitting. You know I was getting well into lacey knitting last time? Well, I searched through my stash of magazine cut-outs with different lace stitch patterns and came across a diamond lace pattern I was rather drawn to, so I decided to use the lovely linen and cotton mix yarn I had in my stash to knit up another lacey neck cosie, in a delightful denim blue shade…

Lush colour and fab pattern♡ Of course as well as my continuing obsession with lacey knitting, my obsession with crocheting pebble cosies continues too…

Simply adorable aren’t they? And now that the autumn mornings are becoming a little on the chilly side, perfect for the poor pebbles. Well I think I have rambled on rather enough for now dear reader, so I shall leave you with a pic of some of my comfort baking to off-set the end-of-summer blues: yummy-scrummy chocie muffins♡ Keep crafting…