A custom piece for Ally Kay

I am very excited to start on my next project - a custom, king size, crochet granny square blanket for Ally Kay. Ally found the image below while searching the net and has asked me to recreate it for her. For me, projects like this are the most rewarding. I get to create colourful, hooky goodness and it is going to make someone so happy.

Step One: Buy yarn - look at all of these colours! This is just some of the yarn I'll be using for this blanket.  

Step Two: Make squares. This is the time consuming part..stay tuned for an update.

A birthday celebration

I did it! I finished the blanket! I finished it just in time. Once I put my hook down it was time to wrap Elyssa's presents. We gave her this blanket and a book called 'Good Night, Little Mouse' which is a lovely little bedtime story and is full of different textures. When I was young I often enjoyed feeling the textures on each page and looking at the pictures more than I enjoyed the story itself. I thought the colours in the book matched perfectly with the colours in the blanket too.

To make the blanket I used Moda Vera 'Marvel' yarn which is 100% acrylic. I love using this yarn not only because it comes in these fun bright colours but also because it's vegan friendly and safer for allergy sufferers. The colours I used were definitely Chelsey colours - hot pink, bright blue, baby blue, purple, red and yellow.

I do need to work on my complete blanket picture taking skills, don't I? You would have laughed out loud if you saw me balancing on the arm of our lounge trying to take a picture without my shadow in it. 

Every blanket I make I try to use a different technique, pattern or colour combo and this blanket was no exception. I made the granny squares using Attic 24's 'Summer Garden Granny Square' tutorial. I love Lucy's blog, it is always so inspirational and easy to understand. The border was from Bunny Mummy's tutorial on 'How to make a flat border for granny square blankets' which was perfect because it stopped the blanket from having that frilly border look. Finally, I joined the granny squares together by sewing in a spiral sort of technique so you couldn't see the join from the front and on the back the colours fuse into each other. I forget to take a picture of the back of the blanket. Oops!

Elyssa's Mum and Dad are the masterminds behind NW Food. They made mini hot dogs and mini burgers for the mini people. They made some yummy potato salad and a stir fried noodle dish. For the vegos like myself there was a delicious vegetarian lasagna. And for the best meal of the day (dessert) they made chocolate mousse, jelly cups, cheesecake, mini gelato cones and this artwork of a cake!

Cake by NW Food

And yes, it tasted as good as it looks.

A work in progress

A girly granny square blanket for Elyssa
Pattern by Attic24 - Thanks Lucy!

Only one more granny square to go! And then perhaps a pretty little border..What border shall I do I wonder..?

Dusk

Last weekend I had the chance to collaborate with a very talented team made up of:

Model: Bree Fry @ Chadwick Models

MUA: Chelsey Prior

Styling: Emma Amies

Designer: Kira Pizzingrilli

Photographer: Lina Kay

Here is a a little sneak peak of what we created.

A blanket for Summer Skye Fox

Primary coloured granny square blanket by LuckyNumberEight

This long weekend I added the finishing touches to this brightly coloured blanket I designed for my cousin's baby. It was perfect timing as Summer Skye Fox decided to enter the world a little earlier than expected on Friday the 29th of March, weighing a tiny 2100grams.

I wanted to try a new technique for joining granny squares and found the perfect tutorial on one of my favourite crafty blogs - Attic24.

Lucy is so talented in the way that she can not only create inspiring crochet and craft but she can then translate her craft into written tutorials full of easy-to-follow instructions and colourful step by step pictures. I recommend her blog to all crochet/craft lovers, from beginners to the most experienced!

Now that Summers blanket is finished and on its way to Summer I have started on my next project, a blanket for my step-sisters new baby girl who I will get to meet in 3 weeks time on our trip to the Philippines. I am enjoying making little blankets made up of little granny squares for little people. It is something I will be doing for a while as it seems as though everyone I know is having babies.

Vegan Friendly Crochet Roses

Crochet Roses - www.luckynumbereight.etsy.com

My crochet roses were featured on 'Girle Girl Army' last Feb which is a fantastic blog on 'Your Glamazon Guide to Green Living'
I was recently contacted by a fan of the vegan friendly website who had asked for the listing to be taken off the post for 'V Day Gifties That Won’t Get You A Night In The Doghouse'.
I would like to point out that the yarn I use for my crochet products is Moda Vera Marvel yarn. It is 100% acrylic and 100% vegan friendly.

First Kitchen Tea

My best friend is getting married in March 2013 and has chosen me as her Maid Of Honour.

Now, the Maid Of Honour's duties include, but are not limited to:

• Helping the Bride shop for dresses
• Leading the bridesmaids
• Providing emotional support
• Helping the Bride with pre-wedding tasks
• Organising the Hens Night
• Keeping a list of all gifts received at pre-wedding parties
• Various duties on the day of the ceremony
• In my case - applying makeup for the Bridal party, Mother of the Bride and Grandmother

As well as organising the Kitchen Tea/Bridal Shower!

I have never organised a kitchen tea in my life, nor have I attended one so it was a little nerve racking trying to give my best friend the perfect Kitchen Tea and not knowing where to start.

I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for Google and both of our Mums who have been to many a Kitchen Tea.

Strawberries dipped in chocolate & chocolate with pistachios

The party was held at her Mum's house and her family made so much food there was enough food for three Kitchen Tea's! We made:

• Kitchen Tea style sandwiches made by my best friend's Grandmother
• Mini hot finger-food - quiches, spinach & ricotta triangles
• Vol au Vents with fetta & caramelised onions or ricotta, spinach & salmon
• Prosciutto wrapped breadsticks
• Salted caramel & passionfruit macaroons made by the bestie
• Mixed biscuits from an Italian bakery
• Red velvet cupcakes made by NW Food
• Strawberries dipped in chocolate & chocolate with pistachios 
• Brownies
• Mini custard apple tarts
• Banana cake
• Carrot cake

Pink & white red velvet cupcakes by NW Food

We played games..

The Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Game

Pass the parcel - Bridal Shower style

The Peg Game (who can take the most pegs off the line)

The Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Game

I must say, I think we had some pretty amazing toilet paper wedding dresses!

Presents were opened...with the help of the flower girl and friends!

Guests were told the details of the Bridal Registry when RSVPing. A Bridal Registry is such a great idea, by the time the couple buys a house of their own they won't need to buy much else.

The Bride & her Bridesmaids

It was a fun day and all of our guests left feeling full and happy.

I would love to hear your Kitchen Tea/Bridal Shower stories.