Strawberry hats and cats

 Introducing our cat Alfred! Alfred's main claim to fame is that he just loves curling up on anything I have made, in particular he loves my crochet armchair. He just looked so adorable here I had to take some photos to share.

One of my favourite things about crochet is thinking about what I'm going to make next. 

Sometimes I go to sleep thinking about ideas to make, and colours I might use. I love planning and being inspired. Most of the time my inspiration comes from all the lovely crocheters in blogland who share their ideas, but sometimes inspiration in staring me in the face, as was the case this week. 

We went to Scotland for a month at the end of last year, and while we were there daughter No 1 bought an adorable strawberry hat...... which I just happened to walk past this week and think...."I wonder if I could make one like that?" Turns out I could....and here it is!!!

Basically I just made a beanie, and then some leaves, which I then attached them. 

I had initially just made it as a beanie for daughter No 2, who's 3, and very definite about her likes and dislikes. When I  had finished, she did happen to mention that she would prefer it EXACTLY the same as her sisters, which meant I then had to play around with making the flaps. And pompoms. Both of which were a whole new world to me, and involved lots of trial and tribulation. And much much undoing!!

But I got there in the end.

Here's a photo of both the hats together, I am really happy with how it turned out.

And the girls just look ridiculously adorable together wearing their hats.

Oh, also in the middle is one of about a million cowls I have made lately, inspired by Alice at http://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/faery-feet/#comments


Here it is on it's own. I am just loving the snuggly goodness of it at the moment.

Hope everyone has a great snuggly Sunday!!