La Belle France

We are off to la belle France for a holiday visiting Monet's garden at Giverney and then going on down through the Loire Valley visiting many of the chateaux.

I've packed clothes for rain and shine, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallow's, ipod and of course the camera I won't be back to blogland until the 12th August so 'till then I hope you all have a good summer and I look forward to sharing my travels with you.

Thank you Laurarn for your lovely introduction I am delighted to have an email friend, I never managed to get a pen pal at school and I tried through stitching magazines but it never lasted.

I am really enjoying my blogging, I have been visiting many other blogs through both Laurarn, Mosaic Yarn Shop and Gina picking up tips and ideas.

I decided to call my blog Crafty Conundrum because I love so many different crafts e.g. Crosstitch, Crochet, Knitting, Card making, Quilting (occasional) sewing clothes.

I also collect Russ Berrie bears and picture teaspooons.

Best laid plans of mice and men

Tuesday afternoon we got down to the beach, this is an old picture borrowed from the Ferring Village website http://www.ferringvillage.co.uk/business-directory/bluebird-cafe.htm#bygone-days

It was lovely and sunny and the tide was just coming in so the rock pools were still uncovered.

Wednesday Afternoon we had planned to visit the Mechanical Music and Doll museum at Chichester. Unfortunately they are only open now for group booking visits which you can join but the next isn't until Friday. Then the washing machine decided enough was enough all that washing for holidays was too much and it was taking a permanent break! (it is 12 yrs old) so todays job is to go and buy a new one.

Summer Holidays,

Summer Holidays!
Schools out and the weather is awful, but yesterday we went to Tangmere Military Aviation Museum at Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex. It was a fascinating day out the airfield was in use from 1916 through the Second World War and into the 1950's.

We saw a selection of Spitfire, Hurricane and Hawker Hunter which has a speed record. There were also lots of exhibits showing what life was like at the airfield for the staff during WWII. The Children can also go on a simulator to fly their own plane.

Today we are going shopping, books and wool!

Having spent a week working on the back of my cardi, it suddenly occurred to me i should check my measurements! Oh dear, despite doing a gauge swatch i discovered that the tension was coming out at 21sts instead of 19 sts, yes i had to pull it all out, lots of it too.

So back to the start and more stitches to compensate for the tighter gauge, at least i discovered my mistake then and not when i had finished the back.

Before i started the cardigan i made a shawl in different crochet stitches, i wasn't working from a pattern. I started with an 8 stitch chain and then increased at the end of each row. i used rows of dc, tr, dc, (UK) and then added clusters, more dc, tr, dc, blackberry stitch etc basket stitch, plaited clusters, basket weave, shell pattern, ripple stitch and finally squares in dc with a little flower appliqued on.My youngest daughter fell in love with it, and has adopted it!

Hokie Healing

These are the 25 squares I made for Hokie Healing blankets.

Knitting Crochet or Cross stitch

For several years i have cross stitched pictures, gifts etc then came Hokie Healing so i got out the crochet hook and gradually made some squares for the many blankets that Gina and the team at Mosaic yarn shop are putting together. Now having read much on the web about knitting and wool i decided to have a go at knitting something. Now the last time i did some knitting was approximately 15 years ago! I have decided to make a cardigan from a pattern on Knitty.com. with some yarn i have in my very small stash. I must during the summer holidays (20th July) find some yarn.