Monday 13 February 2017

Mindless hooky and giveaway no.2!




It's been a while since I showed you my Granny Square project. It sits by my bed and I've worked on it when I can't sleep. I wanted something mindless to work on and the rhythmical action of crocheting is quite soothing. It uses 12 different shades of Stylecraft Special DK, and I'm trying to be pretty random with the order whilst at the same time, use all the colours equally. The plan is to make 12 squares, each with 19 rounds and then to join them together using the parchment colourway. I've now completed 6 squares, which says something about my sleep (or lack of it!) and I decided to have a go at joining them using the 'join-as-you-go' method from Lucy over at Attic24. 





Flo is up on the bed pretty much every night. Sometimes she appears after I've switched out the light, at other times she's waiting for me to climb into bed. More often than not, she gets herself comfy while I'm reading. She is a darling and I love her to bits. Whether I'd sleep better if she wasn't on the bed, I don't know, but at the moment, we both need the comfort and physical contact. Of course, Flo thinks that this blanket is for her, and she's probably right! I have no idea where it's going to go right now; the making is more important and it'll find a home eventually!








Not sure what kind of border to do yet, but there's plenty of time to decide. Please let me know if you have any brilliant ideas! Also, if anyone can point me in the direction of a good way of weaving in ends on Granny squares, I'd be eternally grateful. I have yet to tackle them as there never seems to be much space to hide them very tidily.

Time also this month to show you what you could win in my second giveaway of the year, where I'm trying to pay forward some of the kindness I've received from yarny folk around the world. I have a seriously gorgeous sheep mug from Mary Kilvert for you. I'll even throw in some of my favourite tea and biscuits too! The giveaway will stay open until midnight on February 28th and I'll post anywhere. Please make sure that you tell me your Ravelry or Instagram ID so that I have a way of getting in touch with you if you're the winner. To enter, please leave me a comment and tell me what's your favourite biscuit for dunking in tea! (Mine's a gingernut!) Back soon. xxx







42 comments:

Miverscorner said...

I love dunking gingernuts as well..... Raverly name and Instagram name is Miverscorner ��

Saren Johnson said...

I don't like dunking cookies. I don't care for soggy. But peanut butter cookies are the best. Raverly name is Knittech, I don't have an Instagram account.

Cauldron of Colour said...

It has to be a toss-up between ginger biccies and digestives if I am naughty enough to have some chocolate malted milk biccies in the house then that is truly dangerous in the dunking department! Ravelry Angel 66 Instagram Cauldron of Colour

Ellen said...

Ginger nuts are my favourite for dunking too! I am SistieMoose on Ravelry 🙃

Bridget said...

Your blanket is looking really lovely (and it shows off Flo quite well).

We have cookies here that are like gingersnaps but not quite the same - nonetheless, they are pretty nice to dunk in tea! (my Rav ID is thekittyknitter)

Have a good week!

Sarah Young said...

Rich tea biscuits for dunking but my favourite non dunking biscuit has to be shortbread. Delicious! I am sarahy75 on Ravelry 😊

VeggieMummy said...

Gorgeous blanket and it has to be for Flo! Favourite dunking biscuit has to be a Rich Tea, although I hate if I miscalculate and it ends up at the bottom of the cup! I am VeggieMummy on Ravelry too. xx

Catherine said...

I don't like dunking biscuits but I do like eating them! Custard creams go down a treat with me and my Golden Retriever!

Instagram ID: catherine.houston.16
Ravelry ID: ChoccyLoverUK

janerow said...

Hi,
I dont like dunking biscuits but I am known for making shortbread biscuits which I dip in chocolate.
Would love to send you some.
Love your granny squares I make big squares using style craft Merry go round wool it cuts out all the joining of ends.
I haven't got an instagram account my Ravelry ID is Crochetfiend16.
The mug you are giving away is beautiful I can remember why but if I see any sheep related items I buy them for my daughter.
I even found a swedish dishcloth with a sheep on it.
Hope you have good week especially if its your half term.
Jane

Foxymitts said...

Has to be Hobnobs for me when it comes to dunking. Mmmm...

Ravelry username is Foxymitts and that is one super cute mug!

PixieFoxtrot said...

Hi Helen, the granny square blanket is coming along nicely. I have the same problem as you with dealing with all those ends, I'll be looking out to see if anybody sends you any words of wisdom on how to deal with them tidily. I'm sorry to hear that good progress on your blanket is really a sign of how sleepless your nights are. But it's good that you have found a way of spending the nighttime hours that gives you some form of comfort. And I'm glad that you and Flo are able to comfort each other.
The sheep mug is gorgeous, I have admired that design so many times, and would love to win it if I could be lucky. Custard creams, fig rolls, hobnobs, digestives, ginger oatcakes... my "favourite" changes every time I shop! The only problem I have is managing to silently open the biscuit barrel without Buster, my dog, hearing! On Ravelry I am PixieFoxtrot.

Unknown said...

Chocolate chip rosemary shortbread cookies are delicious with (or without) tea.
Revelry name: MissBootyJugs

Kirsty said...

What a lovely giveaway! There are too many biscuits on this planet to choose one...but as a Yorkshire born girl...most North American biscuits are not nearly on-par with British! I would have to choose a custard cream!
I so enjoy reading your blog and send you and Flo a big hug from here in Canada!
I am knitnonthefloor on Rav.

Suzanne said...

I have never dunked a cookie before. I usually like my cookies separate from my tea. Flo does like her blankets and looks so cute on them. My cat (sometimes two) will sleep with me and I also wonder if I'd sleep better without them in the room.

That mug is so cute! Ravelry id is suziknits

Hayley said...

Oh your blanket is lovely and Flo obviously thinks so too. My Mr Weasley is far too interested in lying in my lap trying to chew my hook than in what I'm making :)
He sleeps at the bottom corner of the bed but when it's cold he likes to snuggle in and warm up so I often get a paw in the face in the early hours of the morning!

My favourite biscuit is a (UK brand) Ringtons ginger biscuit - they are the perfect size to fit into the top of my favourite Herdy mug, they don't go soggy and the heat makes the ginger flavour so much better!

Instagram: geordielass76
Ravelry: HayleyAnn

snoopydogknits said...

The blanket is looking really lovely. Good choice of colours! Love the sweet sheepy mug too! xx

Jo said...

Your blanket is looking lovely, though I think you may have to wrestle Flo to get it back. Love the sheepy mug. I've only recently taken a liking to tea, I've gone right through my life hardly touching hot drinks, I don't know what's changed. I have to admit to dunking a couple of bourbon creams last night and they were rather nice. My Ravelry name is jo9919.

Catherine said...

When I was a student nurse in the 1970s the only biscuit we could get our hands on during the long nights were Rich Tea. Nothing tasted better at that time and it kept us going during the small hours.

Jane said...

A rich tea for me, you can't beat them. My instagram name is Janen4321.

Crafting With Tracy said...

Ginger nuts definitely. Love your blog. I'm on ravelry as Tracysutton. I also have a blog called Towneley Crafts. Just recently started blogging about crochet/knitting. Good luck to everyone else who loves a cuppa and follows you xx

Jackie said...

I love your blanket and I also am a lover of granny squares..... Currently planning a granny square coat for next year. My Ravelry ID is strandjss

I love the mug - I am partial to sheepy things....

Jennifer Z. said...

I love granny squares! Yours look great! I don't dunk biscuits (or cookies as we call them in the US) but I do love eating them! Right now my favorites are Girl Scouts Samoas. It's that time of year! My Instagram name is crochet.jen.

LYNNE said...

Hobnobs are my fave at the momnet. though l do love dunkingshortbread into yoghurt. My ravelry name is Lynneyboo
Goodluck everyone

craftymummy said...

I dunk all my biscuits! But my favourite has to be a Rich Tea biscuit.
My ravelry id is craftymummy. Thanks for the chance to win x

Unknown said...

I've only just found your blog and I'm loving your posts. I too have cats that sleep on my bed with me, usually getting in the way but I love them too much to not let them sleep there. I think my favourite biscuits are Scottish Shortbread but not to dunk, I'm not a dunker �� If I was lucky enough to win that beautiful mug my Instagram is engleby4 xx

C Carter said...

I don't dunk biscuits I'm afraid, but my favourite biccy is a shortbread. I don't have a revelry or instagram ID so I'll leave my email address
carterclaire@hotmail.co.uk
Claire@homesweethome2015

Lucymakesandbakes said...

My favourite are Botham's tea biscuits, but I'm afraid they get dunked in coffee not tea!
What a pretty mug - thankyou for a lovely giveaway :)
(my ravelry ID is lucylavender)

Heather said...

I haven't dunked a biscuit in ages, but my boss brought in mini-gingerbread-men today so I tried dunking those and they worked well!

It's a lovely mug, thanks for running the giveaway.

(ravelry ID is knittingowltoo)

Claire said...

I really love that blanket, and it is so nice that Flo gives you so much pleasure and comfort. I found that I really began to appreciate the smallest comfort after I lost Ivan and I still do.

That mug is cracking, love it :) Here on the Romney Marshes I reckon the sheep definitely outweigh the human inhabitants. I love to dunk custard creams in tea and bourbons in coffee.

My Ravelry name is FallenMadonna.

Tracy said...

What a lovely blog you have. I'm not a biscuit dunker (I can't stand the crumbs in my cuppa).
Lovely mug.

My Ravelry name is Track.

ThriftyMum said...

What a gorgeous mug! I prefer ginger nuts or digestives for dunking.... or shortbread... or custard creams...

My Ravelry ID is geekygoth, and Instagram is geekygothygoodness.

Sheila said...

I generally don't dunk because the crumbs floating in my tea disgust me. I used to be a fan of dunking marias, which I think are similar to what the British call digestives.
SheilaOKeefe on Rav

Unknown said...

Love the mug and your blog!! My fav dunking biscuit has to be a digestive!!

Rav id: Karmastitch

Christi said...

Am enjoying following your blog and think of you and Flo often. I don't usually dunk anything in my tea but if I do it's a biscotti (but they go better with coffee, lol).

My Ravelry ID is AuntieHappyfeet

Kim in Canada xx

MelindaJ said...

I have a wobbly front tooth, so I dunk all my biscuits at the moment. But if I had to choose, it would be digestives, just plain, no chocolate. Enjoyed seeing progress on your blanket. I'm making one just now, the Coast design by Lucy Attic24. I'm Melindaj on Ravelry.

Wings of Change said...

Oh my love love the mug and your blog! I love dunking biscuits! Canada here so any of your biscuits would truly be a treat!! My Instagram is Toyo's Daughter.

Ann said...

Love your granny and the cat is beautiful. I love dunking Stella D'oro Breakfast Treats, they are delicious in tea or coffee. My Ravelry name is icrochetthisway.

Kate Sanderson said...

My home made gingerbread cookies (better if they have gone a little stale). My Rav id is Kate64

Jacqui said...

Love your cushion even more than I love your granny blanket in progress, but not quite as much as the gorgeous Flo! I don't drink tea or coffee but hot chocolate would go just as well in a sheepy mug :-) My Ravelry name is JacquiM

jessie2247 said...

I don't really dunk anything really but I am really fond of dunking my homemade biscotti using my great grandmothers recipe into coffee. My Ravelry id is jld2247

Jennifer said...

Love the blanket and the mug is super cute!! :)

Clicky Needles said...

Best biscuit for dunking is a value digestive! The blanket is looking beautiful.