well it is warming up a bit outside now and we have had a few nice warm days.
As I now have more time on my hands I am doing more crochet.
I crochet during the evenings when the light is too poor to paint..
This last week, I have been making more matinee coats that are for sale in my folksy shop
www.folksy.com/shops/teabreaks
.I keep the prices as low as I can to enable everyone to be able to afford them...here are some of the most recent listings and designs.
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having done the last matinee coat, I decided to do another one......
working on from this I then adapted the idea to another cardigan in the same colours....
Once you have one design that you are happy with you can change it around a bit, so that each design is slightly different from the precious one.
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Now that the weather is improving and all the snow has gone (although we didn't have much here) I am thinking of summer and pretty baby outfits.
I made this matinee coat yesterday from a pattern that I used, way back in the early 70's.
I made literally hundreds of them and sold them (pre decimal) for just 12/6d.... around 65p !!!!!!!
When I was expecting my son I would sit and make them and always took ready made ones to the clinic and sell them.....I always loved selling !
Now, all these years later, this design is as popular as ever.
I change slightly, each one that I make...
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This week I have been working out patterns for collars and hooded jackets...
Lots of pieces of paper and lots of work unpicked and re done but I think I am happy with the pattern now.....
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I also made two of my sideways cardigans.....
For many years I made loads of sideways cardigan for ladies but have never actually sat down and sorted one out in a baby size.....again, lots of notes and crochet that was thrown away......but I now have two that are listed in my folksy shop...   www.folksy.com/shops/teabreaks 
Each one of the sideways cardigans is different as there are not specific instructions. Everything is done by measurements.......I work like this, so that on each cardigan I can work different stitches on the main body of the garment...
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...Here is a photo of me, taken over 24 years ago....crocheting one of my lady's jackets and wearing one as well.
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this week I have been crocheting  a few of my sideways crocheted baby cardigans. They are fun to do as each one is different. Each one has different colours and each one has different stitches.
I make them using measurements rather than counting stitches......and I never know what I will choose for each row......
No two are ever alike.

I have been busy lately trying to get some new designs ....especially something that would suit baby boys,.
SO much of the beautiful crochet that is around today is lacy and extremely pretty. However, there are people out there that would not want to put a baby boy in something lacy.
Yesterday I designed this baby cardigan which will be another option for those boys.
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I also made a striped jumper for boys but although it was fun to make, sewing in all the many ends was a bit of a nightmare !
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well, it has been a busy winter with me experimenting and trying out different designs.... I decided to make some cardigans that were based on the Hexagon jacket. This is using two hexagons joined together to make a jacket. However, I was never happy with the way the neckline came right up to the top so I decided to work out my own pattern that gave the garment a proper neckline and had welts and cuffs on the sleeves.
It took several attempts to make cardigans that were to my satisfaction but I am now happy with the finished product....
I also did some baby lacy cardigans and have made several of those in different colours......
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