Catherine's Crochet Corner

I have been trying, and failing, to write a blog post for the last month.

The reality of having ME is that sometimes my words fail me – literally. I have not had words, this past month. Between the heat in August and my mother being seriously ill in hospital (sepsis is no fun), I’ve just been sort of clawing my way through each day, one minute at a time.

It’s even affected my crochet. Freeform crochet was far too much to tackle, and Wheatfields sat idle for some time. Instead I spent two weeks making seemingly-endless quantities of mask mates/ear protectors for the staff on my mum’s ward. I think when I finished I’d made about eighty-five. Each one took about fifteen minutes, used up yarn and buttons, and was very well received. They also didn’t require much in the way of a functioning brain, which, as I say, I’ve rather lacked lately.

I’m still struggling somewhat with words, but I do have a variety of small crochet projects/finished objects to share, so I thought I could do that without using too many words – and you’ll forgive me, I’m sure, for a photo-heavy ‘ta da’ post 🙂

Mask mates, pattern by Sarah Berens/LotusBloomDesigns (warning: Ravelry link). I used a 6mm hook for the beginning chain, and a 5mm hook for the rest of it. Aran-weight yarn – Stylecraft Colour Pool and Stylecraft Monet. Buttons from my extensive button box 😀

Cat bed – I’ve actually made three of these because we’re getting two new kittens!!! It was only going to be one, but Bumble decided it was hers, thus the duplication. Stylecraft Swift Knit Super Chunky, 12mm hook. It’s basically a circle and a tube. No pattern, I just sort of winged it.

Gigi the bulldog, as a reward to one of my carer’s daughters who was struggling with learning during lockdown. She learnt her times tables; I made her a stuffed toy as requested. Paid pattern by Wunderlichs-Kreativchaos, using Stylecraft Special DK and a 4mm hook.

V-stitch baby blanket, using a 4mm hook with Stylecraft Naturals Bamboo+Cotton in pale pink, lilac, lavender, surf, ecru, wedgewood, aqua. Less than a ball of each colour. No specific pattern, but I began with 205 foundation sc – you need a multiple of 3 + 4 when using foundation sc.

A little kitty and some heart bunting to go with the baby blanket. The cat pattern is Small Long-Legged Cat by Kristi Tullus, and I used a 3.5mm hook and scraps of the Naturals yarn. The bunting is a slightly-amended version of Cherry Heart’s Granny Heart Bunting (warning: Ravelry link), without final picots, and I used both a 3mm hook and a 4mm hook, to give different sizes of hearts.

Four diddy hedgehogs, pattern by Sarah Lyons. Two made with 4mm/3mm hooks, two made with 3.5mm/2.5mm hooks. I…..cannot remember the yarn, it was scrappy bits I had in my stash (you know how I never like throwing yarn out, heh!)

And to finish up, a couple of pics of Wheatfield progress, because I have been able to get back to it in the last few days. As predicted, the sky is a) easier and b) quicker than the actual wheat fields!

Yes, that is indeed a third corner that has appeared up there. Yay. Hopefully the rest of it won’t take me so long – though with two new kittens arriving tomorrow, who knows what life will be like… 😀