Crochet with Wool

Wool happens to be really expensive.  And so nice to crochet and knit with.  And just awesome.  It's a hard job trying to find some wool that is beautiful AND cost effective - I need my arms and legs (doesn't cost an arm and a leg, get it?).

I was wandering aimlessly, seriously, aimlessly, through Spotlight a week or two ago just to see what I could see (is that an aim?).  I had dropped a friend off and had to pick her up later.  I had an hour to kill, so I went to Spotlight.  I headed upstairs while carrying my boy, wrong decision to begin with.

He is SO heavy.  'Naive-me' thought that I'd just get stronger as he grew bigger.  Turns out, he gets bigger and my arms get tired-er.  After carrying him for about ten minutes my collar bones feel like they've bent a little and my arms feel like they're about to drop off.  He weights almost ten kgs now.  Yeowch!

So, back to Spotlight, I was just wandering, minding my own business when all of a sudden, out of NOWHERE, I heard the most beautiful ball of wool call my name.  I turned and saw it.  Beautiful.  I was instantly inspired to make someTHING out of it, until I saw the ball of wool to it's left...

It reminded me of days gone by, where I would walk down the dusty, gravel road after the school bus had dropped me off (in the middle of nowhere, called Ngutunui, a road called Okoko Road I kid you not, google it) and watch the Rainbow Lorrikeets dance and sing in the eucalyptus trees that lined the road.  How beautiful were those birds!

Back to the wool.  It was cheaper than the first beautiful ball.  I couldn't resist.  It had to be mine.  Just one ball.  I fumbled with my wallet, sat the kiddo on the counter with my arms around him, tried to get my cards out and stop him from pulling the contents of my wallet out all over the counter.  I must have looked a bit like an octopus.

The first thing I could think of was to make a beanie, it looked so awesome, but as it unfolded I was gradually more and more unimpressed.

Here I was impressed.

Here, not so impressed.

So I unravelled it and turned it into a headband, crocheting in a different way to really show off the yummy way the wool slowly changes colour.  And, I had plenty spare to make some beautiful brooches.

Ok, so I made two brooches before I started the headband/ear warmer.

Preparation for blocking.

Look how every brooch is a totally different colour!  Aren't they just beautiful?  I like them alot, as you can tell.  Each one is about 3 inches wide, and I tell the truth, I 100% made up the pattern.

And amongst those photos I stopped to take a photo of Patrick's (the lady cat we have) water bowl.  I bought this bowl years and years ago for myself, somehow along the way it decided to be a cat bowl.  It has been turned over by our son at least three times, and he has enjoyed a cat biscuit or two while doing so.

Patrick's water and food bowls looking a tad empty.

Love.