Turtle Tales

Ok, so last year I made a Happypotomus using Heidi Bears' fab pattern

 and have been badgered by my girls to make one for them ever since.

Last September I  raffled him off at our Macmillan Cancer Coffee morning...

 he raised over £60 but  it was goodbye Happy...

WELL, whilst I did enjoy hooking up Happy it was a LOT of work and I have to admit I wasn't exactly relishing the thought of repeating the job for a second let alone a third time....so imagine my glee when a friend pointed me towards this cute Hex-Turtle Pattern, especially since number 1 daughter has a 'thing' for all things 'tortle'...

'Jack Union'

So the Easter Holidays began in beautiful sunshine and I found myself looking after the kids whilst sitting in the garden with my hook...doesn't get much better! This little critter was surprisingly quick to hook up and he was finished within a few days.  I've now started on the Owl so let's hope the sun stays out...

Foundation Chains....

Spurred on by a fellow hooker from Barkham (thank you Jill at Emerald Cottage ) I've decided to bite the bullet,  seize my gorgeous hook (Clover Amour, naturally) by its shank and start some witterings about the wonderful world of crochet. 

I first learnt to crochet at the age of 9 in an after school activity group. I didn't really pick up my hook again  until about 5 years ago when a couple of friends inspired me with their hooky skills and that was it...I was completely smitten. Hook, yarn and groovy Swift winder... I am now a self-confessed yarn junkie with a serious and incurable case of OCD (that's Obsessive Crochet Disorder to those in the know).
                                       

In September 2012 I taught a couple of local friends how to crochet a quick Granny Square and I soon realised that there was a growing number of wannabe hookers out there, lurking on the bustling streets of Barkham just waiting to brandish their hooks and join our very own Chain Gang. I  hired the village hall , put the kettles on...and hey presto the Barkham Hookers was formed! 

Our 1st Birthday Party...bunting and cakes..perfect combo

Today there are over 215 members; I probably see about 50-60 on a regular basis at one of the 4 weekly sessions that I run in the local area. New members turn up each week who I teach from scratch whilst the majority now come to hook in company, share patterns, drink tea and eat cakes. All good. 

Here are some of the poppies we crocheted for the Poppy Appeal last November...we raised over £1,200...we also yarn-bombed Wokingham town centre including the Memorial Bench which was done at around midnight after a few glasses of wine


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