Nayu's Craft Time #192 Bob returns! + Pineapple Palace Review

A bunny themed sea-slug

I'm so happy! My family not only met Bob the slug (mentioned in a previous post) on the drive but I then found both him and Doris (the smaller slug) in the garage last night! I thought they may have died since I hadn't seen them for a few nights, but they are most definitely alive! Go Bob! Go Doris! 

Ahem. Who knew slugs would make me happy? Anyway, on Friday I ventured off into the unknown to seek out a pineapple. 

Yum to juicy pineapple!

No, that's not quite right. I sought out a new to my family cafe & shabby chic/vintage shop, The Pineapple Palace, Lower Way Farm, Thatcham, Berkshire, Lower Way Farm, RG193TL, England.

Image from Pineapple Palace Facebook page

My family had gone there earlier in the week and highly recommended it, so I went to check it out. It was easy to find, there's ample parking by the shop/cafe. The staff are super friendly, were pleased I'd found it through a recommendation. The shop and cafe are fairly small, but in a nice way, if that makes sense. There was all sorts of crafts by local artists, cards, figurines, woodwork, plaques, blankets, metal work, jewellery and much more. 

Picture from Pineapple Palace Facebook page

I overheard staff saying that normally they are busy around lunch - I was almost the only person there at one point. I nabbed a delicious hot chocolate and a milk pudding which is apparently like a custard pudding. 

So very yum! Picture taken by me ^o^

I adore custard puddings and this milk pudding was divine! You can't really see it but I loved that a cake fork was given instead of a normal fork - I have a thing for cake forks, they are really nifty and make cutting into sweet treats simple. Look at the perfect swirled dome of cream! I liked the fact the hot chocolate tasted real - I mean I couldn't tell if it was made from a powder or a syrup. I've been let down in the past by powdered hot choolate when out and about, making this a real treat. I also liked the mismatch of saucers and cups - it fitted the feel of the place. 

Minor disclosure which in no way is affecting my review (it was a super place) - I am going to see whether in the future I may be able to sell some of my work there. Not all my pieces fit in, but a few of the newer ones do. I'm only mentioning this so I can't be accused of favouring a place should I eventually sell my stuff there. This review is genuine.

I was so relaxed I lost track of time while gaming and sipping my hot chocolate that I ended up doing my groceries during prime lunch hour - something I really dislike! Definitely a place to go to if I need a break and have the energy to go out somewhere. Do check out it, it's one of my local towns! The website is down but they are on Facebook

Today I'm doing blog work, so possibly no crochet but I don't know for definite yet. Will see how well my laptop behaves, and my body ^o^ 

Nayu's Craft Time #28 Flower power!

These are my African violes in full bloom when I first got them. No flowers a the moment, hence the older picture. Which makes me amazed at how long they've lasted, as I don't have the greenest of fingers

I don't know about you but I love flowers. They are uplifting, cheerful and always make me smile no matter what kind of mood I'm in. As part of expanding my crochet skills I've eyed up making flowers, but thought I'd wait until I have more time in July to focus on them. Last night, however, I was a bit overtired from being up since 3.30am which was offset by my 5 weekly dose of mega strong pain meds which make me hyper & loopy the following day, so I got into the mindset that I'd try flowers last night, since that's exactly what I do after a busy day of work (not!). 

I picked a pattern that sounded easy from this cute book which was a bargain at £4. I appreciate some of what I'm saying next might not make much sense but I'm including it as it's important. To start the flower in the centre of the ordinary granny square I did the usual single chain plus slip stitch to make a ring. Then I nearly gave up as I had to do 11 double crochet stitches around the ring. 

I was determined to succeed!

I'm guessing you may be thinking the double crochet (dc) stumped me. I don't usually do dc, but with a quick refresher I was fine. I got a bit stuck at 11 stitches. The reason I currently don't follow patterns and stick with my beloved simple granny squares is because by the end of the day (and, to be fair, most of the day) my ability to concentrate is usually hampered by what is called brain fog - I lack the energy to concentrated and think straight. Counting to 11 can be hard to remember. That's why I nearly gave up, as the first time I lost count. 

Meow? Why have you stopped?

Thankfully the second time of trying I didn't lose count - yay! As I formed the petals I became super happy that it was relatively easy. I'm sure that I haven't quite sussed out how to create the final four loops at the back of the flower which will be the start of the granny squares, as my flower isn't quite lifting up (that's the only way I can think of describing it) as the one in the picture but I'm thrilled it ressembles a flower - check it out! 

Mine is on the right, you can see the sample on the left.

Doing the granny square part of the pattern was easy...although I discovered something new as this pattern used 3 instead of 2 chain stitches at the corners. Here's my first finished granny square with flower! 

Not bad ^u^

Since it was nearly time for bed I knew doing another flower wasn't the wisest choice, so I made two small squares, one using 2 chain stitches at the corner and one using 3. The difference is subtle, it makes it a bit more defined so I'm going to use 3 stitches from now on! 

2 chain granny square on the left, 3 chain cranny square on the right

Today I need to work on my final Spring Collection blanket (yes I know it's late but summer doesn't exactly come fast here in England), but since I'm going to be up until 3am Sunday (I have to since my medication makes me hyper and if I don't do it then I'll sleep too badly on Sunday night to be able to go to work Monday) I'm going to get some flower making practice! I'm going to try one part of the flower pattern differently, putting the stitches in the centre of the petals rather than at the centre of the edge to see if that makes my flower 'lift up'. I'll keep you posted on Facebook and Twitter, and report back here later in the week. I'd love to know what you think of flowers and how you incorporate them into your life!

Being a florist remains a dream job due to hayfever & my not entirely reliable way of looking after flowers. I know a friend who is one and who loves it! Check out her work on Blooming Marvellous Flowers

Nayu's Craft Time #25 Shiny yarn!

The yarn isn't literally shiny, but, like with any yarn lover, all yarn is shiny! These two came all the way from the USA. I thought I'd give them a try for dishcloths, since they say they are kitchen yarn. With alternate rows of white and mustard yellow I think the dishcloths will be rather smart. 

Once again I'd planned to write about some of the crochet books I've received this week (still waiting for 2) but it's late afternoon, and after only just avoiding a migraine yesterday I'm feeling drained. I've done a fair amount of crochet, can you show you these lovely squares which are for the final blanket in my Spring collection (coming soon!). 

I hope to do a little more of my competition piece tonight, which is also growing nicely, but first I'll be reading. Often after a migraine/almost migraine for a while I crave things which don't move and aren't brightly coloured. I've watched both human drama and anime today, which may be why I want to steer clear of it now - I've had my fill! Time to dive into the world of spy dogs, Amish country, dystopian royalty, friendship and ever so much more, as well as shiny yarn, both in the books I read and in the crochet I do! ^o^

Nayu's Craft Time #22 Yarn is a girl's best friend

Picture source

I thought I'd confuse you all this week and write Tuesday's post today, Wednesday, and keep up with normal schedule for having another post tomorrow. Which on reflection isn't confusing, you just get a new post 2 days in a row! 

I've been fairly wiped out this week, possibly due to not the best planning of meeting some friends & doing various chores. The weather is slowly warming up which is good news as my body responds well to sunshine.

While I have rested a fair bit more than normal (when I say rest I mean no reading/writing/craft of any kind, just watching shows) I have also been doing my usual hobbies, including crochet. Yarn is never too far away from me! I get grumpy if I don't crochet for a few days, so I do try to do some. As I said to a friend, even just a few stitches makes a huge world of difference to a crafter's mood. 

Tomorrow you can find out what I've been working on - it both is and isn't what you think! Stay tuned until then.

Nayu's Craft Time #5 Best crochet hook ever!

Read on for why this set of Clover Amour crochet hooks is my dream buy!

I'm a firm believer in buying the highest quality craft tools that you can afford without needing to empty the entire contents of your bank account. This is particularly true to crochet. All thoughts in this post are entirely my own opinion, and are by no means set in stone or specific rules which others must follow. It's entirely personal which knitting needle/crochet hook you prefer, so try out a few before deciding which is your favourite.

Crochet hooks come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Google them and you'll come up with zillions of results. Thankfully I didn't need a zillion to find what I liked. Thanks to my background in knitting, I knew I didn't want an all metal hook. 

I run in terror from a sight like this.

 I used bamboo knitting needles because for some reason I detest the feel of metal knitting needles. The same goes for metal crochet hooks. Oddly I can cope with metal sewing needles no matter the weather - where I have used metal knitting needles in the past, knitting in summer wasn't a comfortable experience. 

I already prefer thicker than the average biro because I find it easier to write with. My pen holding technique is far from so called proper ways because I tire fast and can't write lots. It makes sense that I need a slightly thicker grip on crochet hooks.

Now, I did try this Clover plastic hook, because it claims it is designed to be perfect for your hands, comfy,  to be easier on the hands, something which is important since my hands and arms are weak. It drove me nuts within minutes. The rubber bit is only for your thumb. It's not comfy, it doesn't provide a good grip, and I shortly reached for my laptop and looked for other hooks. 

Isn't she pretty? Nabbed photo online since I was too cosy to get up & take one of my own hook - ditto previous hook.

Tada! Here's the Clover Amour 4mm size beauty that I use for all my projects. I don't benefit by mentioning Clover in any way, shape or form.  It works as good as it looks. It's a decent size to grip with my fingers, the entire handle is a rubber material, but not too hard when using for a long time. Plus it's purple, one of the coolest colours around! 

I did buy an inexpensive set of hooks in different sizes when I went through a phase of thinking about using a size of hook which is recommended for different yarn types, so that I could try the size out, then think about buying more of the Clover range of hooks. I didn't think there would be that much difference in how easy it is to crochet, but there is. It wasn't as smooth as I was used to, and I soon picked my Magnificent Purple Hook back up. Because of the work I do, for now I don't (yes, go on, gasp with shock) change my needled to suit the type of yarn I'm using. This 4mm hook works fine on everything!!! 

Pretty! Photo source.

I do suspect in time I will eventually progress to changing hook sizes more often, and yes I would quite like to try a fancy coloured wooden hook, if it's thick enough. 

For now 1 size fits all of my needs. Although this particular hook costs on average £7 including postage, it is entirely worth it for a comfortable crochet session. I'll let you know if I find superior hook, but for now this will stay firmly in my crochet bag, ready for action 24/7.

You can see my hook poking out the top, and read why this bag is so special to me.