sunday projects

My post the other day about finally clicking with crochet seemed to chime with lots of other people having the same struggles and also with a few like me who had recently 'got it'. To those still trying, give it another go. Really! If I can get it after my multiple attempts, then anyone can. Find a simple, inspiring project and give it another try. I kept pulling out stitches until they looked right and somewhere along the way it just got easier.

Of course with the basics conquered I couldn't resist taking on something harder, I do love a challenge (!) and when I saw this amigurami pattern for Luma from Mario Galaxy I quickly picked up some yellow yarn and a hook and cast on.

The really great thing about this pattern, apart from the fact that I knew a couple of boys who would think I was pretty clever if I made it, is that there is an online video tutorial which walks through every step. The bad thing is it involves lots of counting stitches and keeping track, which is impossible when people come and talk to you all the time while you're counting. Aaagh.

I find the starting bit hard, but if you use the magic circle technique and make sure your stitches aren't twisted, and take it slowly, it gets easier.

I'm also enjoying the february photoaday challenge, organised by fat mum slim on Instagram. Here are two of my first entries, my boys' perfect little mirrored hands for the theme 'hands' and my 'view today' of my garden from our back deck.

I've set my own Instagram challenge too, of posting a pattern a day, I love pattern and this is a great way to record some favourites. My username is @flowerpress, come and see, and if you feel like joining in I'm tagging them #patternaday, you don't need to do it everyday and it doesn't need to be fabric. And if you don't instagram don't worry, I think I'll do a mosaic catch up on the blog sometime. Happy Sunday.