Crochet | Tall, Short, Tiny & a Pickle

I’m feeling pretty proud of myself right now.

I achieved all of the goals I set out at the start of this month, and feel as though I have well-and-truly regained my creative mojo.

I’ve sewed birds and owls and monsters. I’ve patched jeans and sewn a button caterpillar onto a t-shirt, and I’ve got enough snowmen Christmas cards to last about a trillion years. I’m almost finished two cushion covers…I’ve just been putting off the decision whether I attempt button holes, or go for the easier option of poppers.

And, I taught myself to crochet! I don’t have much to show for it yet, as someone small – say, about 20-months-old – keeps finding it and unravelling a good portion of it! But I’m enjoying it, and I’m sure the extra practise is a good thing.

I’ve done a lot of pinning real life which is super-fun and rewarding, and have recently pinned a few more things to try. My PRL hasn’t been limited to crafty things, either.

I’ve made Meghan‘s dangerously delectable focaccia bread a few times (and each time, been too late to take any photos!), as well as Kristin‘s scrumptious Oaty Caramel Crumble Slice:

I also made a version with stewed rhubarb on top of the caramel, and it was divine:

I’ve tried using toothpaste to remove scuff marks on our lino:

(this is the same square, honest!)

and in the spirit of September’s goals, I pulled out the waterfall braid a few times…

…before chopping off all my hair, as promised:

I’ve also been creating a secret project which can not be revealed just yet, but I’m pretty proud of it so far. I’ll be able to show you after Christmas 🙂

One of my goals for this month was to learn a new crafty skill. When I put that out there for the world to see, I had no idea what it was that I wanted to learn, just that I wanted to learn something.

I thought about it for a while, and then went to Spotlight for inspiration.

I came away with wool. I came away with wool because I saw this soft, dusky blue and had to have it in my life.

I was carrying the wool blindly to the checkout when my reverie was suddenly broken by the most practical of thoughts – what on earth did I plan on doing with it??

I wondered about learning to knit. Actually, re-learning to knit. Or – learning to knit things other than button holes, which I mastered very early on in my knitting career. My mum is a knitter, and I knew she’d be more than willing to teach me the ins and outs.

Only problem was that she and dad had taken themselves off to Perth for a couple of weeks, meaning I’d have to wait.

And I wanted to learn now.

Then I remembered reading this post, and I decided that what I really needed to buy was…

…a crochet hook.

Yep.

I’ve been unleashing my inner-Nana and teaching myself to crochet.

The internet is full of all sorts of fabulous tutorials and ideas, and I was lucky enough to find a book at the library that had very clear pictures of the stitches and where the hook was meant to be each time.

My tension is a bit off, I keep adding stitches so my work is curling, and I’ve started and re-started a gazillion times, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

And it’s relaxing and soothing and I love it!