Crochet hook roll-tastic.

Before I launch into this post of stitchy stuff I want to say thank you hugely to everyone who leaves comments and follows my blog. When I started out I really wanted to join in, to become part of this blogging and crafting community. I was ever hopeful of making a few bloddies but I never expected to make so many, I just can't believe how many of you take the time to leave me a comment too. I love that you do. I try hard to get around every ones blogs and to reply to comments as I love to see what you guys are all up to. My problem now is that I spend a bit too much time on the old laptop rather than creating, oh it's a tricky balance isn't it? And one I know a lot of you ponder over. I have read many a paragraph stating exactly what I have just said. We are all so sociable and probably all fall into the category of "people pleaser" too. Anyway, I don't know what the answer is but I shall continue to try to find some balance so I can enjoy it all and in the mean time I hope you all know what a huge difference you have made to my life. I feel constantly lifted by you. 

I've been a little AWOL in blogland the past few days as I have had my dear friend Kerranda Mirranda Miraculous May Scarrad (Kmmms) to stay with her two little girls and yesterday Clairey joined us with her two littlies.  7 kids, 5 years and under was mayhem. They each took it in turns to be gorgeous but that also meant they each took it in turns to be little terrors! Even Mini had a squealy day and those are so rare. However the sun shone for us and we all ate a lot of rocky road and it was lovely to all get together. Gem, Rah you were missed though.

Right on to business for I am blogging in haste. I had another title for this post along the lines of 'a r*ll for a h**ker' but as much as it amused me to think that some body looking for some excitement would stumble across my blog and find crochet, I don't really want them viewing my children (not to mention my flashing episode on the London Eye in my last post) so I changed it. 

A while ago, while I was still heavy with child I decided to make a crochet hook roll which I blogged about here. I just popped back to get the link to the post and saw that I made my hook roll just 9 days before Mini was born. It feels like a lifetime ago yet it's only five months.

Kmmms saw my hook roll and asked ever so nicely if I'd make her one one day. So I did.  It was a bit late for her birthday but she didn't mind at all. I made a few modifications to her roll as I didn't like the way my hooks made the back of my roll all lumpy bumpy concertina looking . So I made it a bit differently and I was pretty chuffed with it. I had a go at doing binding the proper way. I followed Rachel's fab tutorial. I even popped on a little label that I ordered from Cash's as I intend to make and sell one day.....some day, when I'm grown up.

Can you see how the back is nice and flat and the
spaces for the hooks all rounded? But there were stitches
visible for each pocket on the back.

I should have made a mosaic of all those pics but I'm trying to be more savvy with my time whilst the school holidays are in full swing. 

I showed Kmmms' roll to my Mum who said she really loved it and wanted one. So I made her one for Mothers day. Obviously it was really late. I am hopeless at getting things done on time! Again I made a few more modifications.

 Flat back, no stitches visible.

In the mean time, Kmmms had blogged about her hook roll and one of my bloddies, Nicky saw it. She saw the label and asked if I made them to sell and would I make one for her.

I don't think she expected it to be such a palaver for her. Shopping at Argos it ain't. I literally bombarded her with a squillion questions about the size of her hooks, how many she had, the details of her scissors, the fabrics she liked. Poor duck, she only wanted a hook roll and she got the third degree. She was very good about it. I wanted the roll to be perfect for her needs you see.

She was amazingly patient too. I think she waited about 7 weeks for me to get it finished.

I was being very fussy over it. Very fussy. I was fretting over it being good enough. You see Nicki and I had that awkward moment when two mates discuss payment. I would have done it for nothing but she wouldn't have accepted that so we struck a deal. She would pick a few things off my on line book wish list and surprise me.

It was a perfect solution. She sent me Scandinavian stitches and Embroidery Companion. I loved the excitement of waiting for the books to arrive. To see what she had chosen. It was great. I wonder if I ever did set up shop if I could be paid in this manner?!

I loved making this for Nicki as even though I don't know her in real life, as I was stitching, I could picture her hooking away in her gorgeous cottage with a bowl of icecream with caramel sauce by her side and the radio playing in the background.

So now for a bit of news updates: 

Mini's passport has arrived!!! So we will all be going to Spain soon. I went to the Newport passport office and everyone was just so lovely, I really enjoyed the day. It was a bit of a palaver getting to  Newport as the Brynglas tunnel was blocked by a lorry that had caught fire. The M4 was shut both ways and there were 12 miles of tail backs. I made a call to Mr C and he google train times from Bristol Parkway so instead of going East on the M4 I went West and caught a train. We did have a giggle on the phone as Mr C said he felt like we were in the TV show 24. He was Chloe and I was Jack. I tried to talk in an urgent, husky voice but I was a bit stressed and the road noise was too loud and drowned me out on the hands free. Amazingly I got to Newport with absolutely no hassle and Mini's passport arrived just 3 days later. What amazing service. 

What with having to get Mini's passport and Little getting an infection and needing antibiotics again we didn't make it to Salcombe last week. If Mini's passport hadn't have arrived in time then there'd have been no holidays for me this summer! Secretly I would have quite enjoyed a week at home with Mini while the others were in Spain, but I am so glad to be going en famille as I feel a bit lost with out my boys and my rock and roll mate. Mr C is away at a sports camp thingy this week and despite having my dear Kmmms here I have missed him dreadfully but I have not missed putting his coffee cups in the dishwasher and his coke cans in the recycling!!!

I'm thinking of changing my banner. What do you think? I'm nervous it'll all go a bit wrong like the last time I fiddled about. Blogger started saying I had ran out of photo space and I needed to purchase more. Ridiculous as I have hardly any photo's here compared to other bloggers and my photo's are only little files. If I knew where to save a copy of my html of my current blog banner I'd leap straight in. Do I just copy and paste it onto a word style document? I'd also like a favicon but I'm a bit scardy. Do any of you have experience with changing yours? Or should I just leave it as it is?

Better go and clean up after the weeks fun and start organising things for holiday now. I'd forgotten how much clobber you need for a baby. Oh and who has experience with Baby Led Weaning? I've been told to give it a whirl but this is all new to me.... Nelly? Ashley? Help!

xxx

ps Gorgeous giveaway at Ashley's and another over at Juli's. I have a few bits I have been collecting for a giveaway but I have seen soooooo many good ones out there that I think my little stash is a bit feeble as it stands so I will add to it and hopefully I'll have a decent one for you all eventually.