My sisi's blanket for Laura

While I'm slowly nearing the end of my summer throw, I can at least brag with my sisi's Elmer Blanket.

She's good at making beautiful gifts for her in-laws, my sisi, and this one was made for her SIL Laura:

Perfectionist, disciplined - look at the neat stitches.  I can only dream ;-)

This was her first project done in Colours of Grace, of which she bought a bagful last year during the Yarn Indaba, and upon starting, immediately ordered more.

Colours of Grace is a 10 ply, hand-dyed organic cotton, resulting in a beautiful, slightly mottled effect, especially when when using a dense stitch pattern like she did. 

A simple join in Natural

She made one square per ball, using 28 colours

"Here it is"
View from above

Oreo the cat also tried to claim it :-)

Elmer Blanket pattern can be found at Little Tin Bird's blog

A last view in the harbour before to its new owner:

Who can spot the Irishman? Clever man - he wasn't going to let this beauty blow into the water!

Colours of Grace can be ordered from Hilda at Yarn in a Barn, who delivers internationally.
Note that some of the current colours will be discontinued, but a new set will be released soon - we're looking forward to see the new colours!

This was Yarn Indaba 2014!

What a beautiful day!  What a beautiful event.

This was Yarn Indaba, and the yarn bombing of the Voortrekker Monument and today, I'll just share a few pictures of this great event.

Those steps are looking a bit bland and dreary, don't they?  

But we're going to fix it!

Bags full of blankets, ready to go

Marléne and Esté were the two driving forces behind the Yarn Indaba and yarn bomb:

"Opening the floor"

Ah, we were a bit teary-eyed.

Joy and relief. 

There were enough willing helpers, and soon some of us were jogging up and down the stairs with the heavy bags (a good workout!), while others were unpacking.

Let's get going then!

Marléne had the dream and the vision for today:

...and she's looking happy!

Smiling for the TV cameras:

Esté had the honours of laying down the last blanket:

And then it was done.

We did it.

We covered all the steps leading to the monument with blankets that will be distributed to various institutions. 

Your think we were excited?
You should have seen the tourists.  Busload after busload stopped in their tracks and couldn't stop taking pictures of the yarn bomb!

The morning turned into an extended photo session for tourists :-D

"Smile, love"

We had great fun looking at the individual squares, finding quirky ones like the tractors that was also posted on Ons Hekel before begin sent off.

Nothing runs like a Deere.  John Deere.

That's my sisi, on holiday here from Ireland. She might have been the attendant who came the furthest! 

Thanks for helping out, my sisi.

We found squares that her MIL sent from Ireland!

Here it is, Ann!

And three of my green squares:

(Test-pattern for the yet-to-be-decided-on Summer Throw...)

It was great to meet up with various friends from Ons Hekel:

...friend and fellow cappo addict Riesl

...an angel, Mara, whose Maak 'n Verskil (Make a Difference) group took on the massive job of joining these squares and will be distributing the blankets.

...Anneke - she of the T-shirt yarn doilie rugs and twisties

...Alet, who sat in great pain and with a shoulder strap and worked to the end, fastening blankets

  All figures to be confirmed, but here's what you can work on...

± 30 000 squares crocheted and knitted.
± 630 blankets assembled.
Three flights of stairs yarn bombed.
Many tired legs.

Thousands of Rands spent on yarn
(I haven't said a word yet about the yarns...)

Hundreds of Happy Hookers.

My feet are busted!

My crochet - Looking forward

This post is part of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2014

This is the third time that I'm looking back to where I started crocheting,  what I've learnt, how my work developed, and it is always interesting. 

I've learn't that even though I make lists, I might not necessarily stick to them :-)

I've learnt that my tastes change quicker than the weather.

I've learnt my tastes stay the same. 

I'm too impatient for amigurumi.

I've learnt how to hook from a diagram!!

(Goal 2012 and 2013)

Two Japanese Crescent Moon/Mezzaluna shawls completed and gifted!

As a reward, I bought the Japanese book with the original pattern, as well as two more!
Because this pattern can be quite the frustration, I have coloured the diagram row by row and wrote a full set of notes in Afrikaans, but sit on it as I can't make contact with those holding copyright.  Quite the frustration, trying to communicate via Google Translate and I'm not getting very far with Amazon Japan in getting to the publisher to obtain permission.  Anyone who can help? 

Does this also count as "something to wear"?  Or beanies then?  Because I got a bit stuck there, on last year's nr 3 :-)
But, as always, I have Grand Plans.

My group, Ons Hekel, remains a joy. It is a closed group now due to ever increasing spamming and the like. It is growing on a weekly basis, and although numbers were never the goal, I am astounded at how the craft is growing, how many people want to learn to crochet and join up with groups meeting all over.

A few members opened shop in the last year, both in brick and online and nobody can complain about the availability of great quality yarn in South Africa. 

(One of a Kind Yarns)
(I Love Yarn)

(Colours of Grace)
(B-Trix Designs)
(Yarn in a Barn)
(Nilla's Needlecraft)

Alternative yarn has exploded on our group, and between Anneke (T-yarn), Ronel (T-yarn) and Hilda (T-yarn and netlon) we are SO inspired by their ideas! 

Two members are organising South Africa's first Yarn Indaba, and we are counting the days while crocheting blocks by the 100's for their Great Yarn Bomb . Crocheters from all over the country have sent in piles and piles of squares to used in blankets, which will afterwards be donated to various charities.

Many, many members of Ons Hekel are involved in various charities country-wide, delivering blankets, beanies and shawls to the aged babies, those in need, those who are sick.  We have a list of all these so members can choose where to get involved.  I wanted to pursue and promote these groups more actively, and this is a definite goal for the next year again. 

A new goal...keeping my Ravelry profile up to date.  I regularly browse around and look at patterns and ideas, but am terribly bad with uploading my own info.  After searching for months for a pattern I once saw, I finally found it, by chance...in my own queue.
Nuff said.

I'll try to slow and steady update the huge backlog, as it is a nice record of what you've done.  And of course, immediately get going with the new attemps ;-)

So here it is, then:

1. Continue developing Ons Hekel ('headquarters' will be moving, so lots of new people to meet!)
2. Ahem...something to wear, yes.

3. Complete. Those. Blankets. (Quite a few WIP's there).
4. Ravelry. Keep it UP.

It's been a great year.  Roll on April 2015!

Coffee and crochet @ Karoo Café

I was shuffling dates around for a last crochet & coffee for the year, to hook squares for Yarn Indaba, when my sis's visit came up.  Having attending two previous Craft Shares on the very days she would fly back, attending this event was not thought about for longer than five seconds.  More than enough time to pack and shower afterwards and hop on the Gautrain to the airport.  

We were joined by a good number of friends at Karoo Café, a lovely place for early morning breakfast and coffee.  The Karoo breakfasts and pumpkin fritters are fantastic and you can lounge here the whole morning, as long as you don't sit on the Great Dane's couch!

Oops...cut off half the table...was taken blind, hanging from the corner of the table!

Loma and Christia brought a laundry basket full of squares from the Happy Hoekers group at Green Olive:

108 squares!

Petria brought another 76 squares from friend Caren:

We're getting more and more! :-)

With my sis came these two from her MIL:

I love the green yarn.

 Sis hooked these with remaining yarn after completing two baby blankets:

The green square with red edging is one of those of the road trip!

Colourful squares of German wool, courtesy of sis:

More colourful squares:

Wilhelmina brought these with her - beautiful vintage patterns...

...of which one is this:

Her wedding dress of 37 years ago! She crocheted it with Tridalia.

I really struggled to fit behind the dress :-)

Wilhelmina's daughter brought along this gorgeous Christmas snowflake, the size of a sideplate:

Hooked with twine

And Stephni brought along a teaser of their soon-to-be-available I Love Yarn wool, the loveliest, softest blue, on its way to become a shawl.  

 A great day, successful in all matters crochet, breakfasting, hooking up with friends and creating memories. So much so, that we did not even take a photo of the two of us!

Yarn Indaba 2014

We were watching the countdown towards Yarndale with envy from here in South Africa...but trust the girls at One of a Kind Yarns to come up with...

YARN INDABA 2014!!

"Indaba" is a Zulu word, referring to a meeting to discuss important business.

Now what could be more important than discussing what type of yarn to use, what pattern, to hook or knit, browse exhibitions, attend workshops etc?

Yarn Indaba 2014 will take place in Pretoria at the Voortrekker Monument, from 31 July - 2 Aug.

Keep track of the info their Facebook Page.

(It'll be winter in RSA - but it's still warm :-)