Verb: pootle
poo-t(u)l To move in a leisurely unhurried way,
with no real purpose


Friday 7 March 2014

‘Pass it on’ ......


I have a little 'top-tip' to share today.
Nothing earth shattering or mind blowingly amazing, just a very nifty little idea that has been of lots of help to me since I began my love affair with crochet a couple of years ago.
Now, you'll have to bear with me with the first few photo's, they are a tad on the 'not really very interesting' side but stay with me on this as all will become clear !


As all good crocheters know it is imperative to have at least 3 crochet projects on the go at any one time and I just thought I would show you that this is indeed the case 'chez-moi'.
Currently you'll find one bag next to the sideboard in the lounge...


... another 2 here in the lounge...


...1 in the TV room...


... 1 rather bizarrely in my wardrobe...

 
.... and yes, that's even one in my office at work, 
up there on the shelf along with the emergency Calpol supplies, 
compliment slips and thermometer ear guards.
And all of these projects are still in existence despite a very severe self-induced crochet culling.
But I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone in this
.... am I right ?
Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong at all with this, infact it is quite impossible to avoid crochet overload once those creative juices start flowing ... but have you ever gone back to a WIP and had that moment of panic when you realise that you have used the crochet hook for something else since, the spare wool has disappeared and there remains just one sad looking specimen at the bottom of the bag ?
Well .... here is my solution..
LUGGAGE TAGS !
I love a good luggage tag, soooo useful, and quite definitely up there with a woman's ultimate DIY kit of string and sellotape.

 
They are the PERFECT thing to attach to all of those little projects with a hastily scribbled note of hook size, wool used and any other notes that may take your fancy.
They don't get in the way, 
they don't get lost, 
they patiently stay where they were put
and happily remind you where you were when you left off.
PERFECT.


Without them I would not have got from the start of the biggest blanket in the world..


...to here...


to happy, warm students.


The multitude of daisy squares, worked on over several months would not have grown from this....


... to this....


...to the ultimate caravan snuggle blanket.


The smallest blanket in the world would not have gone from this...


to this...


to being the cuddliest puppy bed...
 

 And my bunting for Nursery, kept at work for those stressful moments when only 5 minutes of crochet will solve the problem,will run and run forever now that I shall never forget what I was doing.
 

But I think the best use of my beloved tags so far has been for my Perpetual Blanket.
I started this way, way back in June last year.
I realised straight away that this was not going to be a quick project,


and indeed it took me from those glorious days of last summer, 

 
right through the Autumn,
 to many cosy Winter evenings in front of the fire.

                                           
Several times it was packed away in a bag and tucked away behind the sofa whilst all sorts of other essential crochet works took place.
But each time it was rediscovered there were my trusty tags to point me in the right direction...
so needed with this blanket of many colours and many, many stitches.

 
I am quite certain that without them I just might have given up, 
but onwards and upwards they gently encouraged...


...and now that it is finished and all tags have been carefully removed and stored away
 the blanket of Perpetuity completes the trio of caravan cosiness.
 
 
And what of this little scrummy array of wool...
the start of my next WIP of course !


Whats it going to be ?
Perpetual Blanket Number 2 !!
I so enjoyed working on the last one, picking it up and putting it down as time allowed, 
doing other things in between but always returning to complete
 a few more rows and watch the pattern evolve.
The wool is chosen and numbered,
the stitch labels are ready and waiting to be filled in...
 


... let it begin ...


This blog entry is my submission to the Deramores Blog Awards 2014. 
Deramores is the UK’s number one online retailer of knitting and crochet supplies. 

49 comments:

  1. I can confirm the blue and cream stripey one is indeed the world's biggest blanket! We have discovered that all four us can fit under the blanket (which is handy when your student budget doesn't stretch to heating)...and that's across two sofas!

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  2. Oh so much crochet loveliness!!! Have a super weekend Kate! Sarah xo

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    1. Thank you Sarah, you too. Lets hope we get some sunshine.
      K x

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  3. Genius! Just the kind of tip I needed. Even better than trawling through all the notes kept on my iPad! I'm off to dig out the luggage tags I know we've got somewhere...

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    1. Happy hunting Juanita - honestly the possibilities are endless !
      Have a great weekend,
      Kx

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  4. What a great idea!! So simple, so organised and so pretty too!! xx

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    1. Thank you Amy, hope your tiny squares are still coming along week,
      Have a good weekend,
      Kx

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  5. Good grief, that's about the cleverest tip I've ever heard! I'm going to start writing up tags immediately!!! So clever, and so lovely to see those crochet creations again! Now, I must beg you to email me those last yarn colours, I'm looking for a muted neutrals pallette for a scarf-shawl thing, and you've got it! ;-) Chrissie x

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    1. Thank you Chrissie, and beg no more the email is on its way !
      Kx

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  6. Tagtastic!!! What a great idea, thanks for popping over to my blog. Jo x

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    1. Thanks Jo, come back and visit again soon,
      K x

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  7. Absolutely brilliant post Kate and great idea, much better than all the pieces of paper I scribble on. Anne xx

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    1. Thank you Anne, and thanks for dropping by,
      Kx

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  8. A wonderful idea! Am starting a mixed stitch stripey blanket this year, labeling as I go will make it a breeze! Pat x

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    1. Enjoy making your stripey blanket Pat, looking forward to seeing some pictures.
      K x

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  9. Love it! Brilliant suggestion! x

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    1. Thank you Helen, hope you can make use of it !
      Kx

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  10. Hi Kate, what a brilliant idea. I love the way you have organised your yarn colours on your tags. I really want to make a perpetuity blanket for my daughter who is off to University in September. Not to take with her but to add to her 'made over' bedroom. Will you be doing a tutorial for your next blanket or could you at least tell me how many stitches you started with. I have only been crocheting for a year but you, Lucy and Vanessa at Coco Rose have given me real inspiration. Vanessa xx

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    1. Hi Vanessa
      Thank you for all your lovely comments ! Funnily enough I was taking photo's and making notes only yesterday and plan to put together a kind of tutorial/pattern this week sometime. It will be on the sidebar on the left hand side of my blog when it is done. It is such a fun blanket to make, and really truly not that hard to do. I think you will really enjoy it.
      Have a lovely weekend,
      K x

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    2. Really excited about the tutorial. Looking forward to tagging my colours. Thank you.
      Vanessa xx

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  11. Brilliant Kate...everything looks wonderfully organised! (and very pretty tags too x)...My goodness...how cute is your little dog by the way!
    I've also noticed that students love to whip away quilts and blankets at any opportunity...I'm going to hide my next make :-)
    Good luck with your entry to the awards..all your makes are always beautiful...x
    Happy Sunday,
    Susan x

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    1. Thank you Susan
      Have a lovely weekend in this amazing sunshine,
      K x

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  12. Neat! I do something similar, when I remember ... you are clearly far more organised than me Kate :)

    Hope you're enjoying this sunny Sunday x

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    1. Great minds think alike Annie !
      Happy Sun day !
      K x

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  13. I love all your blankets. Bags of yarn in every room is normal behaviour is it not? :o) I'm really impressed with the efficient tags, great idea - I think I'm probably tag shopping tomorrow. Look forward to seeing your new perpetual blanket unfold - shades of grey I see! Hope you've had a lovely weekend in the glorious sunshine!
    Jane x

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    1. Hello Jane
      Enjoy your tag shopping !
      Hope you're enjoying the sun too,
      Kx

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  14. Hello Kate! I made it over for a visit! Yeah! I love it here!!! Really love the idea of your tags. Now why didn't I think of that!!
    I'll be back for another visit soon. You are now added on my sidebar so I can see updates!
    Thanks always for leaving sweet messages on my blog!
    xx Shari

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  15. Hello Shari
    Its so lovely to have had a visit from you ! I love your Blog so much, I think we're both a bit mad for the neutrals and soft colours, and I am completely in love with both your calico and crochet bunnies. Very happy to be on your sidebar,
    See you soon, either at mine or yours !
    Kate x

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  16. Oh you have made me feel so much better about having bags stashed all over the cottage and my den with various projects at various stages of completeness or not as the case may be.

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    1. Hi Mitzi
      Glad to have made you feel better !!
      Kx

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  17. A wonderful post, Kate! The luggage tags are a really inspired idea, and I love it because they look good too :) All your blankets look beautiful, and you have made me feel better about the many crochet projects in progress in my house!
    Happy week!
    Helen xxx

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    1. Thank you Helen, you can never have too many WIP's in my book !
      Kx

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  18. That really is a very good idea indeed! Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm afraid i keep the project, hook and yarn all bundled together in a bag, not very organised. My friend keeps a WIP notebook, where she records yarn colours and numbers, hook sizes, that sort of thing. x

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    1. Hi Gillian
      I have been caught out so many times with not remembering what I started off doing ! Its just remembering to write it down somewhere isn't it ?
      Have a good weekend,
      K x

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  19. omg, the tags with the punch holes! i feel giddy lol

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  20. It has only taken me a century to get to read this post, for some reason people post all the time and I just had to check whether I have missed one of yours and lo and behold I have. Boy am I pleased I found it too, this is sheer genius my dear and I am never going to look back again. I must confess that I no longer have many projects on the go at once, its my new cleaner me approach, not sure how long this will last, but hey I am going for it. Thanks for sharing this tip and it was fab to look at your fab creations again. Loving the colours of the new creation too! Roll on sunshine for a little more sitting outside working on the next big creation. Enjoy your weekend sweetie and thank you for all your support on my blog, you are a sweetie xoxo

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    1. Hello Hannapat
      I agree .... more sunshine please, doesn't it make everything so much better ?
      I hope you have a good weekend too, I thought your post today was a really thought provoking one ...and I hope you get the balance that you are working so hard to achieve.
      Hugs from Wiltshire,
      K x

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  21. Hi great idea and post. I keep my ideas and thoughts in a diary then they form my blog posts. Lovely to read your system and diary too. Karen xxx

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    1. Thank you Karen. Thanks for dropping by.
      K x

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  22. Kate
    Now that is Genius and so simple as all the best crochet ideas are, going to adopt that one immediately if I can find my luggage tags amongst all my WIP'S
    Daisy

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  23. Brilliant...what a genius idea, I do use a lot of luggage tags but usually for prettying up things however this is a whole new use for them! Clever you. :)
    Love your crochet BTW!!!
    V x

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    1. Thank you V , hope you find it useful too.
      K x

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  24. How have I never thought of this before ???! You should patent this idea, it's pure genius:) Another idea to shamelessly steal I fear!
    Jillxo

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