LATEST BLANKET AND A NEW COMPUTER

This is the latest blanket I've finished knitting - only four things to complete now!
As for the new computer - I'm doing this Blog on the old one as I kind-of know what I'm doing.

The new one is a Samsung with a non-reflective screen (not called 'matte' these days, it seems) but apart from trying to find how to open the bloomin' lid (lift it, no catch to slide as there is on this HP) and clicking it on, that's about as far as I've got. I haven't the first idea about computers and am not really looking forward to a l-o-n-g time learning where everything is. However, first of all there's the problem of shifting all the info on this computer on to the new one. But even before that there was getting Stuart to come and install the new BT HomeHub which was sent since the old one 'died'. That took a couple of hours last evening as it had to be linked to both old and new computers while talking to Holland. Do I sound as if I know what I'm talking about? Don't bet on it!
Sometime today - and tomorrow - I shall hand over control of them to Jonathan (my daughter's partner) in Holland who will transfer all my work to the new one. I'll have to be on hand to answer questions, make decisions etc.
I've spent this morning clearing out Documents from 2006,7,8 etc., deleting some Sent Mail and the Inbox, shifting photos from one folder to another and leaving all the icons on the wallpaper page which I've never used since I don't know what they are! I've found the disks for the printer and both cameras...I'll sit and watch the arrow moving itself around with no input from me. Gillian has already expressed an interest in this HP if it's going to be spare. I've already given my 'orrible Vista computer with a shiny screen to James, whose computer collapsed under the strain...
But before that I have to go to Bucks Family History Society meeting to return some borrowed mags for a friend.
When will I get time to have a post prandial nap today? I'll end up with a cracking headache; it was 'complicated' enough having two trips to India this week and unravelling what I was being asked to do to try and restart the HomeHub.
Ho hum...

A PRESENT AND ANOTHER BLANKET

Just over a week ago I had a surprise packet in the post. It was a gift from my Chesham friend who had made me this Christmas stocking because I'd admired the one she had recently made at her patchwork class - we usually do a Show and Tell when we meet. She has cataracts at the moment so I don't know how she managed this! However she's having the first one done this morning (Sat.) at Stoke Mandeville as when she went on her appointed day at Wycombe the machine had broken down - after she'd been 'dropped' and anaesthetised...
It's all Christmas material and the strips vary between 1/4", 1/2" and 1". The total length is about 8". The back is one colour material, plain green with Christmas stars and the 'cuff' is gold holly leaves. It's padded and lined. I had trouble with these photos, too dark, really, without a flash and the colours were wiped out if I used it. Ho hum...This is the latest blanket I've just finished for charity - what a struggle to use black wool in artificial light! Still, it's come up OK in the end. Made in the usual way of 4 strips crocheted together. I made one strip of three-wide squares and put it one one side. Then just made another strip and so on - I was interested to see that I have unknowingly put the same colours next to each other (apart from the black separating each piece) - turquoise, blue, pink, red, two dark greeny speckles which look quite grey, and others which are diagonal to each other. These were random choices yet somehow the same colours came at the same distance from the start.....

FAT QUARTERS AND CROCHET

This is the first one-piece crochet blanket I've ever made. Usually I've made granny squares and then sewn them together afterwards and that system is a good way of using up very small amounts of wool but - I found this pattern on a crochet site called Attic24, liked it (and it's simple) so have been doing some every day. It's taken a month altogether.It measures approx 49 x 33" and I'm pleased with it. Just as well I have a fair amount of wool at present as I'm also making the knitted blankets. The photo taken widthways has come out with less distortion than standing at the bottom of the work and taking it that way. This is a closeup of several rows - and what a carry-on to take photos on this dull gloomy day (so a dull gloomy house, too). The stitch is treble crochet (in UK terms).
Here's part of the stitching in even 'closer-up'

and here's the border, just to finish it off, though I didn't do the final row with the border pattern as printed, just did double crochet all the way round the edge after the rows of trebles.
Because the house is a dark house even on a bright day I tried with/without flash, by the window and finally used another camera which has a paper manual and so much easier to access information.

Sarah was home at the weekend as it was Bonfire Night and popped round with a present for me - 3 packs of Fat Quarters. I'd mentioned that I wanted dark materials to include in the postage stamp type quilt I've been making on and off for months, depending what material came to hand. Now the weather is grey the light isn't good enough for me to machine so I knit (crochet) instead. There are various patterns in these bundles so will take some time to use it all - years, probably! I'm very economical... Thanks, Sarah.

BLANKET, HEXIE QUILT, QUILTING ACCESSORIES

This might very well be my last-ever post. I'm tired of the way blogger keeps messing me about so I'm not going to paragraph anything here, just keep going. That's just ONE gripe I have with it!
Anyway - on to nicer things.
The photo above is of the fifth blanket I've made this year and now I'm having a break from kniitting, just for a while, probably until Knit and Natter starts again.

I've finished the long-hexie quilt I started on 26th April using the English Patchwork method and the PDF Kath sent me of the hexie itself. I finished it yesterday morning, 19th August. I hung it on the line to take this photo as it was a sunny day, unlike today which has turned grey.
I tried to do some of it every day and only missed a few sessions for one reason or another. I'm aiming to put it in a local Horticultural Show's Handicrafts section though don't expect it to get anywhere - too many of the patches don't match up and the quilting on the back is - well - Could Be Better. Never mind, it's 'mine'...

This is my plastic quilting frame which comes apart for storage. I've had it for twenty years, or perhaps more, since I can't remember where I bought it. It would have been at a Quilt Show somewhere, perhaps Malvern? The 'bar' resting against the part on the floor is one of the grips which holds the quilt in position when it's spread over the top of the frame.

Here are the 'grips'...

I was given this wooden chair about 10 days ago to pass on but I've kept it because it goes through the frame - my dining chairs are too wide in the seat - no, not me, of course!

This is the bag I made when I first got the frame. As it comes apart this is the easiest way to store it between quilts and it doesn't take up much room, either. I made a tube, cut a circle of firm cardboard which I covered and then stitched to the bottom of the tube. I think the cord through the top came from a duffel coat or something similar plus a couple of beads from - can't remember. It's never been washed but would have to be only part washed as I'm not taking the whole thing apart...

The frame's in here now.

I'm trying out some more crazy quilts and these three trial runs are just plonked on the wall as
I finish machining and pressing them, not in their final position, assuming I continue with them.

These are 5 1/2" wide strips made in the same measurement downwards, too. I saw a blogsite with a quilt made of strings like this so am having a go to see how I feel about it. It began as 9 1/2" wide strips just to be joined into 4' strips without any sashing. I decided that would be over-powering for a lap quilt so cut each piece to 5 1/2" widths, meaning to use the 3 1/2" left over pieces as 'piano key' edging - when it's finished. At a car boot last weekend I bought a single cream duvet cover with this kind of quilt in mind.

Lastly there's this pattern. I fancy this design and the offcuts from this go into one of the other examples. I've had a couple of goes already, one on backing paper (no...) another as a QAYG (no...) and then found this one meant to be cut from widths but, being me, I'm spending ages fiddling about using up scraps. I wonder which, if any of these three, actually become quilts and which end up in the Orphan Blocks box???

Now to see what the layout looks like.

BLANKET NO.4

I took another blanket down to the lady whose son is working with children in Burma and for whom she collects all kinds of things.

This one is still made in five sections then crocheted together before the crochet edgings are added. She was pleased that the colours were bright as, apparently, the children like the gaudy colours of the blankets. Another shipment is due to go out at the end of July.

It's getting hairy taking 'floor' photos but I prefer them as reference photos to the artistically draped ones...I used to climb onto a dining room chair and stand up there with no problem. Now, to take this, I got to the first step of a small stepladder and didn't feel safe even at that mini-height.

I've almost done the first strip of No.5.

Don't get old, but as someone said to me - What's the alternative???