As if learning to sew wasn't taxing enough... now crochet too!!

Hello Ladies and Gents,

As if learning to sew wasn't taxing enough, I decided I wanted to teach myself

'Roseanne'

crochet as well. I know I should concentrate on one before moving onto another, but after watching 'Roseanne' (with the lovely Dan Goodman) I just could not stop thinking about the afghan blanket (and Dan Goodman) that was hanging on the back of the sofa in the living room. With this idea fresh in my mind I purchased a fabulous pattern I could follow... but then thought 'I can't even crochet, let alone make a blanket'. 

Crochet Equipment

With my reigns now back on, I trawled the internet on how to get started in crochet. I found lots of good websites and tutorials on You Tube, but it was the lovely people of twitter who came to my aid on the tools I should use to get started. I was advised to buy a size 4 hook and 4-ply yarn. Armed with the basic knowledge of what I would need, I bought a Clover size 4 hook and some 4 ply acrylic yarn. Top Tip: I bought my first bits from eBay and it cost me less than £8 - a cheap lay out cost to test drive the new hobby in my opinion.

The hook and yarn arrived and following the tutorial on You Tube I wanted to follow (link below) I set out learning a few basic steps. The hardest bit was actually holding the yarn and making sure the tension was right. This did not come naturally, but after persevering I had learned how to do chaining. A chain in the crochet world is a when you have a slip knot already on the crochet hook and pull the yarn through to make a chain. After doing this for a good half an hour, I moved onto what is known as 'fourth from the hook' in patterns or 'double crochet'. This I found challenging, so will stop here as I need to go and practice the double crochet as apparently it is the most used stitch in crochet!

Happy Crocheting x

P.S. I need to make a storage case for crochet kit so will be doing a blog on that soon :)

Top Tips:

• I bought my first bits from eBay and it cost me less than £8 - a cheap lay out cost to test drive the new hobby.

Useful Website:

• Goodknitkisses. Beginner How to Crochet - Lesson 1. 
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXmRm1ryXUQ
• Crochet Hooks You 
• http://www.crochethooksyou.com/
• I Knit
• http://www.iknit.org.uk/

'Lindy Lou's' - Belle of the South-East

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

Earlier in the week, when my long weekend was fast approaching, Husbandy and I were wondering what to do. Husbandy was looking at eBay and noticed I had put some vintage clothes in the 'watch list' (or hint list as I like to call it!). He started to look at what they did more closely and contacted the seller to see if they had a shop and to our delight they do! So yesterday, I phoned 'Lindy Lou's' to see if they were open and when they said 'yes' we were ready and heading East to Rayleigh, Essex. 90 minutes later we arrived at the quaint town of Rayleigh and wondered around and at the top end of the high road there it was, 'Lindy Lou's'.

Lindy Lou's shop front

We walked in and were presented with an array of vintage replica (and some original) clothes for both men and women. I was in vintage heaven as there was such a wide selection of clothes to choose from! After having a look around and selecting a few pieces to try on we started chatting to the owner. We were talking about the store (which had only been open 7 weeks) and the replica garments. The replica garments are all made in England and from original 1940s/ 1950s patterns and made by very talented seamstresses. For men the items range from trousers, shirts, jackets, hand knitted jumpers, hats and some original vintage items. For women again the range from hand knitted jumpers, cardis, skirts, blouses, dresses, head-wear and a whole range of accessories. 

I tried on some swing trousers, Freddies of Pinewood jeans, blouses, a wiggle dress and an emerald green jumper. I fell in love with all the items - especially the swing trousers  - but they were sadly too short. When the owner saw this she said that we do make made to measure so sizing is not an issue. This made my day as swing trousers always come up as ankle biters on my long legs and at last I have a solution! After trying on my items, Husbandy tried on some great pieces. In the end we walked away with three jolly spiffing things and will definitely be back for more! Afterwards we went for a wonder around Rayleigh and it has a great high street. There was a wonderful vintage cafe called 'Coles Vintage Tea Rooms' and next time we will be going in there!

With the goodies...

'Lindy Lou's' is a little gem in Southern Essex. It's a well presented shop with friendly owners who are more then happy to help. The bonus with this shop is that the clothes are made in England and by being made in England the clothes can be made to measure. There are also some great original vintage pieces. If you're into vintage, rockabilly, swing, jive - anything to do with the 1940s/ 1950s this is a great clothes shop for you and well worth the trip. Also don't forget to check them out on eBay - eBay name 'qbiffer'.

Lindy Lou's Flyer

Nearest Train Station: Rayleigh (trains leave London Liverpool Street approx. every 15 mins). Only a 8 minute walk from the station.