Barcelona

I took Mr Year to Barcelona. It was a surprise present for a significant birthday. 

Delicious churros, an incredible final score, and a great flea market. I sadly did not come home with the tiny furniture or the pink typewriter but the much more baggage allowance-friendly box of colouring pencils.

Spanish names for colours are very beautiful. Amarillo cromo. 

I am going to keep little hands away from these.

May the Force Be With You

Hi. I am still alive and making things. 

Here are two and they both feature Yoda. I feel like Yoda has been a counterpoint to my life, and I'm sure to yours too. My cousin had a little toy hand puppet Yoda and he liked to chew his ears as he fell asleep. He's a professor now.

Also belonging to my cousin was a black guinea pig called Yoda. My brother did (and still does) very good Yoda impressions. None of this is surprising from these children of the 70s and 80s, but now I see Yoda love in the next generation. I think this is all A Good Thing.

I have a 12 year old nephew and am never sure about crafting for him. Is it any way cool? I know I think so, but not sure how he feels. So, I ploughed on regardless and made him this Yoda iPhone cover. 

It was not so much complicated as lengthy: once you had finally finished the duffel coat there were the ears, and then the hood and then the eyes, and then... who knew such a little guy took so long?

out of focus photograph you have taken

I think Sam is pleased, at least he said thank you very nicely.

Then, I made this hat for my godson, another mini Jedi. I took the pattern again from Ravelry and it went like a dream. 

When I got to making it up, the ears were a bit floppy so, for the first time, I started a thread on a Ravelry forum. Within an hour I had about 15 replies and suggestions for making Yoda's ears, um, stiff... You hear a lot about online 'community' but this really felt lovely. I do love Ravelry very much.

Here is the hat modelled by one of my own. In the end I made a stuffed pair of ears out of felt (I had some in a matching green) and sewed them on by hand, thus anchoring the crocheted ears.

Happily, my little godson is too young to be troubled by thoughts of whether a crocheted Yoda hat made by his godmother is cool or not, he just lives for the moment and wears his hat with the joy of a 4 year old. Very Jedi.

Finally, huge thanks to Kate, author of one of my favourite blogs for a very kind (and undeserved since it's so shamefully long since I posted) shout out. Kate, thanks for kicking me up the behind. And thanks for writing such a beautiful and inspiring blog.