Moving into February…

How has January been for you? 💙 I can’t quite believe that the month is coming to an end and we’re about to move into February. For us here in the northern hemisphere that means the days are starting to get lighter and spring is approaching… the first signs of spring always make this time of year feel hopeful!

January has been a busy month for me… that includes for Coastal Crochet, my personal life and my day job too. It’s passed me by in a bit of a whirlwind…

I can’t yet share with you the crochet projects that have been keeping my hooks busy but they’ve included a few magazine commissions. Two for Simply Crochet and another for Inside Crochet. They’ll be appearing in the magazines over the next few months.

I’ve also had a big blanket commission on my hooks. I can’t wait to share more about that with you all. It will be a crochet along launching around June time… that’s all I can say for now, other than it’s based on a theme I’ve embraced and I absolutely love it! 😁

But here’s a project which I’ve just started that I’m able to show you now…

This is going to be a prom dress for my daughter! My daughter will be sweet 16 very soon and yes, she has a prom to look forward to in June as she finishes secondary school.

I’m going to give the dress a go… there’s no guarantee that it will be a success or that my daughter will even want to wear the finished dress but I certainly feel the urge to try. And so far she’s been happy to let me try!

I’m using ‘Stylecraft Naturals’ Bamboo and Cotton yarn in a gorgeous Powder Blue colour (chosen by my daughter). It’s a great quality yarn which feels soft and has a beautiful subtle sheen to it. When thinking about what yarn to use, I wanted cotton or natural fibres so this mix of cotton and bamboo is just perfect. I’m using a 4mm hook and it’s going to be a slow grower. I’ll keep you all posted…😁💙

We’ve had mixed weather throughout January here on the south east coast. Many grey and gloomy days but also some sunny crisp winter days too. It’s made for a mix of moods… the damp grey days can feel drab and dull whereas when that winter sun appears, it really lifts the spirits. We’ve been treated to some stunning sea sunsets which have been incredible to see…

We’re not always around to catch the sunsets but when we are then we always make the effort to head down to the beach. Sometimes I’m on my own, sometimes I’m joined by one or more of the teenagers. Salty always comes along… she really loves the extra walk she gets when she joins us as we dash down to the beach to catch the setting sun.

In other news, I’m super excited once again to be taking part in the Italian ‘Yarn Bombing Festival’ which I’ve previously contributed to in 2019 and again in 2021. This years Yarn Bombing Festival is to be held in Milan from 10th – 12th June, 2022 and yarn artists from around the world will be crocheting or knitting pieces for the festival.

I may just try to get over there in person but won’t book anything just yet! I will be creating a piece of crochet which will be on display in the streets of Milan alongside a feast of contributions from other yarn artists. The pieces are sold to raise money for children’s charities.

You can also take part because the organisers are inviting people contribute to a collective piece of work which will be on display at the festival. They’re asking people to contribute a piece of crochet or knitting as follows:

Send your contributions to:

Lucia Santorelli,

Piazza Fontana, 47,

86029 Trivento,

Italy

Back to my local beach and when the days have been crisp and sunny through January, it’s given some lovely daytime photo opportunities…

Here’s a lunchtime photo shoot on the beach with my new ‘Seaside Celebration’ Blanket… thank you so much for the lovely response to this blanket. Kits available from the Knitting Network have been flying out fast. The pattern is also available over on my Ravelry and Etsy.

I promise I wasn’t feeling cold here without my coat! These photos were taken on 20th January – there was a really cold northerly wind but down on our south facing beaches, sheltered out of the wind, it honestly felt quite warm!

The photos have come out great and were taken by my eldest son Morgan. I’m going to be missing his contributions to Coastal Crochet in the coming months because he is off to Costa Rica in a couple of weeks time for a 10 week volunteering expedition with Raleigh International.

That’s something that has been on my mind a lot and it’s taken up a lot of time throughout January as we’ve been getting his kit ready and organising various bits and bobs that he needs to do ahead of departure. Vaccines, insurance, medical forms etc etc. It’s quite an undertaking but I’m sure it will be an incredible experience for him.

Moving into February I will be hosting various crochet workshops over the next couple of months at both YAK in Brighton and Made and Making in Hassocks. Do check out their websites if you’re interested in joining me…

Workshops at YAK are here: https://yarnandknitting.com/product-category/classes/

And workshops at Made and Making are here: https://madeandmaking.co.uk/explore-by-category/crochet

And finally, a little shout out for my very good friend who has just written a book! She has published this on Amazon and I helped proof read it and also took the cover photo! I’m proud of that and very proud of her… it’s a romance novel and is a lovely light and easy going read if any of you are interested in some reading…

So there’s a little update from my coastal corner. Crochet continues to be my constant and I really look forward to sharing new designs with you soon.

Happy Crocheting Everyone… 😄💙