The Weekend Project That Took A Whole Week

 This is the story of a very quick and easy project which could have been quicker without my tinkering!

Recovery Mode

Today is very quiet as I recover from the night before.
It is the Sunday after the Saturday night in the city.  
I'm sure we've all had one of those!

But it's not what you think. 

Pretty tame, really, but for a body like mine, an evening out without a nap in the afternoon beforehand is the equivalent of partying non-stop through a long weekend with no breaks.  Like a 'smashing' fun party, it was worth it for the experience and the memories but it will take a while to recover.

Sigh … Yes, there are beds to be made, dishes and laundry to be done and a house to tidy and a week to plan. Do you think I am physically up to those tasks? No!

So the next best thing to do is to laze around and catch up on blogging!  
(Yes, it has been quite a while!)

Simple Stashbusters

This project is simpler than it looks.

Sometimes life becomes complicated–too many demands, activities, people, places, things, expenses, deadlines and other pressures!

This is when the fancy, challenging, thought-intensive crochet needs to be set aside in favour of easy, meditative projects.

"Simplify" is the operative word and that extends to my crochet environs as well–I am in danger of acquiring a condition called 'SABLE': Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy. *

A Melancholy Mothers' Day

My children made me this card for Mothers' Day 2017.
The home-made ones are always the most precious,
don't you think?

The second Sunday in May is Mothers' Day in Australia.

While celebrating Mothers' Day with my own family last Sunday, there was another mum in my thoughts.

Stashbusting to a Deadline

You think you have all the time in the world …

the baby's due date is months away …

and then Expectant-Mum's-Best-Friend casually mentions that the pregnancy is already 37 weeks along …

37 weeks already !

(sound of shocked crochet hook crashing to the floor)

That's not much time at all until baby is due to arrive and I haven't even started on that blanket I plan to make for him!

Quick Crochet Fun on the Weekend

Made by Jodiebodie 2016

Looking for a quick project?

Here's a little creature 
whipped up last weekend.

Pattern & Rhyme Bunny Style

Max finishes off a piece of hay.

Hay!

Max loves eating hay.

He loves nibbling on all sorts of things which prompted a little rhyme and a list of bunny-themed crochet patterns.

Sweet Summer Toddler Hat

Summer Toddler Hat
(Made by Jodiebodie, December 2015)

This is the story of a pretty sunhat made for a very special little girl.

"Tortle" Turtle

"Cupcake Turtle"
made by Jodiebodie
(December 2015)

This cheerful fellow is enjoying a happy life at last after waiting in a queue for years!

More Examples of Crochet Spider Stitch

Spider stitch features in this scarf.
(Made by Jodiebodie 2014.
Pattern: Diamond-Strike Scarf by Kristen Stolzfus)

Are you familiar with the phenomenon where you buy a new car and when you go driving, you suddenly start seeing lots of cars of the same model and make where previously you had never noticed them before?

I think that is what happened to me with spider stitches!

Liebster Antwoorden in het Nederlands (Dutch Liebster Answers)

Further to my second nomination for a Liebster Award, here are the Dutch questions with my Dutch answers together with a list of other Liebster-deserving blogs.

Don't worry if you cannot read Dutch–my English answers can be found further down the page.

Eindelijk schrijf ik iets in het Nederlandse taal om de Liebster Award te eren. Bedankt Anne Vanderkerckhove. Zij heeft me genomineerd door haar blog Anne's Crochet Palace. 

Het spijt me dat een lange tijd had geweest - ik moet mijn verstand van het Engels naar het Nederlands veranderen - moeilijk als man altijd vermoien zijn. Maar vandaag ben ik blij en krachtig. Nu krijgen we de antwoorden van Anne's vragen. 

(Nederlands is niet mijn eerste taal - als je iets verkeerd zien, alstublieft vertellen! Dan zal ik het beter leren.)

WIP Project Bag: Progress Photos At Last!

Way back in January, I started work on a little bag.

I chose a variegated sock yarn from my stash
to highlight the stitch pattern.

Double the Magazine Fun

I went to the newsagency to buy one magazine …

 … and came home with two!

Silk Mohair Scarf Delivery

Silk mohair scarf (folded)
designed by Jodiebodie

The latest silk mohair scarf has been delivered!

Seeing Double

Top: second and latest scarf (14 pattern repeats long)
Bottom: first scarf (15 pattern repeats long)

It's not your eyes!

I made a second filet crochet scarf just like the first (well, almost!)

These scarves differ in length. After making two scarves from one skein of 5 ply yarn, with barely anything left over, I am very pleased with the results. Now that I am not in such a (Christmas rush) hurry to make another scarf, there is time to explain the finer details.

Home from Hospital

Smokey bunny on the bed.

Home again…ah! Nothing like the feel of one’s own bed! 

Thank you so much for your support and good wishes through your comments. There were lots of useful suggestions about which crochet project to tackle and I will reveal my choice later in this post.

I was in hospital for three days and two nights and survived to tell the tale.  

Library Haul

The library had some great crochet and knitting books this week!
I brought home three…

Three books stacked horizontally on the shelf.
Their titles are (from top to bottom) "Long Legged Friends", "Crochet One-Skein Wonders" and "Weekend Hats"

Gifts of Friendship

Recently I had a very pleasant morning with a very close friend whom I had not seen for many months; not for want of trying, but due to hectic events, immovable commitments, and new schedules which refused to allow us a time of mutual convenience to meet!

Oh No!

The seam split at the wrist!

I put my arm into my sleeve and the seam split right open!

Dismay! 

Two Elephants

One of the loveliest aspects of Lupey Loops is getting to know visitors through comments, emails and each other's blogs. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, stories, enthusiasm, advice and encouragement.

Thank you for also connecting through other means like Pinterest. I don't use it very often, but it is a great source of ideas, especially for visual learners.

Yesterday, regular Lupey Loops visitor, Ingrid K, shared a pattern for a cute crocheted elephant on her Pinterest board "Myfunkycrochet" and it reminded me of a special elephant that I crocheted in 2010 so I decided to share both here today.