Eloise the snake and a crochet giveaway

What do you give the seven year old who has everything for her birthday?

Why an enormous stripy crocheted snake of course!!

The Sunday before the Friday of our Pepper's birthday we found ourselves asking each other this question often. Seriously, what on earth did she possibly want or need? Being our third girl the answer was most certainly not clothes, or toys, or books. And being seven the answer was most certainly nothing too babyish and nothing too grown up either. And not giving her anything just wasn't an option.

So we were stuck.

And then it occurred to me that I could make her a toy. And hopefully the fact that it would be made by me, and the fact that it would be bright and big, would kind of negate the too babyish bit

So I got to work on ravelry, found a pattern, and every night as soon as she went to sleep I got out the hooks and the cottons and started crocheting. Around, and around, and around.

And you know what? She loved it! She loves it!!

She takes it everywhere she goes, she changes its name constantly and she's even given it a much coveted place in her bed so she can snuggle it all night. (Poor old Big Ted hasn't been as happy finding himself in the crack between the wall and the bed every morning though).

Funny how I am petrified of snakes in real life yet this stripy one makes me so happy.

So, do you want to make a stripy snake for someone you love too? You know you do. The pattern is simple and totally make-able for beginners. I just used lots of scraps of cotton I had from other projects and I used these gorgeous Clover crochet hooks.

And guess what??

Gorgeous Renae of Yarn Haus has kindly offered to send one of you a packet of these wonderful hooks too. How cool is that!!

I am seriously in love with the Clover hooks. The padding is in the right place not to leave an indentation in my finger, I love the colours and I don't think I will ever use another hook again.

So if you live in Australia or New Zealand.
If you love to crochet or would love to learn.
And if you think these hooks are just what your hooky kit needs, then please leave a comment telling me something about crochet. Anything you like. And we'll choose a winner early next week, (my birthday week - YAY!)

Oh I just realised my pink hook is missing from the pics. Oops! Never fear, your kit will definitely include the pretty pink hook too.



In the meantime why don't you check our Renae's;

Gorgeous new yarn haus website here.
Go like her pretty yarn haus Facebook page here.
Go follow her fabulous yarn haus instagram account here.
And go and follow her witty yarn yarn haus twitter here.

You gotta be in it to win it!!

Happy hooking friends!!


Love Kate

xx

PS Miss Pepper's snake is ravelled here

Organic wool giveaway. Yay!

This week I got the most wonderful package of wool in the mail from Suzy Hausfrau in Canberra.

Isn't getting parcels of supplies in the mail just the best thing ever!

A few weeks ago I noticed Renae (from Suzy Hausfrau) tweeting about a shipment of certified organic, naturally dyed yarn that had just come into her online shop.

Some day in the not too distant future I hope to have my own line of certified organic wool, but until then I am happy to hungrily read and learn the stories of anyone else doing it already.

So Renae tweeted the organic wool and I visited her gorgeous online shop to check it out for myself. And OH MY GOODNESS, the gloriousness of the colours and the names of the colours made me want to know the whole story right away.

So I clicked on the Swans Island website and drooled over stories of antique farmhouses and century old techniques, and natural dyes and extra fine merino wool and the love of the handmade. It really is such an inspiring story.

I am such a firm believer that we should use the best ingredients we can afford in all our making. And this wool is the best, softest, most environmentally friendly, sustainably created, luscious wool I think I have ever come across.

Suzy Hausfrau is the only Australian stockist of the Swans Island wool.

Suzy Hausfrau is a gorgeous online shop specialising in exquisite yarns, patterns and needles from all around the world.

The super lovely Renae from Suzy Hausfrau has ever so generously offered to giveaway to one of your guys two 100 gram skeins of the glorious Swans Island certified organic merino wool in the fingering weight.

200 hundred grams would be enough to make a cardigan, a shawl, several scarves, hats, socks or baby items. Check out some of the patterns on Ravelry here.

I'm thinking about a shawl or braving my first pair of socks with mine. But in the meantime, it is so wonderfully soft that I can't help stroking it against my face and squishing it while I decide.

So if you would love to receive a Suzy Hausfrau brown paper package filled with deliciousness in the mail. If you would love to rub this soft and squishy wool against your face. If you would love a chance to knit or crochet or weave with some of the most delicious yarn in the whole world...then this giveaway is for you.

Leave me a comment and let me know which colour of the Swans Island wool you would choose for your two skeins were you to win. I'd also LOVE to know what you think you might make with it.

We'll choose a winner next week.

In the mean time check out the;
Suzy Hausfrau shop.
Suzy Hausfrau blog.
Suzy Hausfrau twitter (where this giveaway started).
Suzy Hausfrau facebook.
Suzy Hausfrau instagram.

Good luck.
And I hope you have the most wonderful weekend.
I'm off to do the farm chores and then to a wedding. Yay!

Bye! xx