Hello, Darling!

I am so happy that Winter is finally here...oh, the rain, the clouds, the wind! Hopefully, we will see some snow too in a month or two! This is my weather, to a T! And what better time than now to begin a lovely crochet journey, but from the comfort of my slippers, cups of hot chocolate and a view of storm clouds! Aaaaah, BLISS! As you can see "Wildflower" was the result of this happy combination. 😁 I know many of you Lovelies in the Northern Hemisphere are sweltering right now so you may want to hold out a little. However, if you do begin now you'll have a lovely blanket done and dusted, just in time for your cooler months?

Let me tell you about my new project!! To begin, it will be larger than Amanzi...somewhere between a Throw and a Double-Bed Blanket. I have in mind a rough measurement of between 1.60m x 1.60 to 1.80m x 1.80m! If all goes well I am counting on the larger size! However, at this point, I am promising nothing! I confess, this project is as much a mystery to me as it is to you and that's why I have called it Karoo Vintage Mystery - A - Long!! 😃

What I have is a rough sketch doodled on a piece of notebook paper, a WALL OF YARN ( thank you, Scheepjes! ), my trusty hook and bucketloads of inspiration. Knowing myself ( that is, knowing for sure that I am a Dreamer who frequently gets lost in the Dream), I decided that the best way to tackle this project was to set some boundaries. A theme seemed a good idea. The theme I've chosen had to be very close to my heart...yep, you guessed it, no surprise...South Africa! But this time it's even a little closer to home. I have a milestone B'day coming up soon which reminded me of the last big milestone B'day 10 years ago when my husband surprised me with a cosy getaway long-weekend to one of our favourite little Karoo towns, called MacGregor. That weekend, at the end of August, it snowed heavily yet I could not have wished for a better gift. More about that weekend when we get to "Part MacGregor "! 😊 This made me think of the rest of our road trip, which began with breakfast in Darling! at one of the many quaint, shabby-chic Vintage vibe restaurants.

On to the Gateway to the Karoo...the Hex River Valley Pass.

My poor husband's phobia was seriously triggered...a fear of heights! I click away while he keeps his eyes on the road ahead. 

Aaand lightbulb! a blanket based on our road trip from Darling, all the way to Ladysmith, and back again! We've traveled quite extensively around South Africa, but there is something very special about The Karoo. If I love Cape Town's wet and wild Winters, then equally I love The Karoo for its wide open arid spaces. This journey covers parts of Die Klein Karoo ( the little Karoo ) and the historical little towns dotted along the famous Route 62!

However, I meander! This could become a travel blog post in no time at all! So, let me introduce you to "Darling" ( aka  Rocking The Daisy). This is the first part of our journey! I won't write too much about any of these villages or we'll be here all year but be sure to follow the links for a little visit. I'm using my stash of  Scheepjes Colour Crafter seeing as I have so much of it but also because an acrylic yarn is hard wearing, can be machine washed, tumble dried and of course, comes in a gabillion colours! It will be lovely, I think, in a monochrome colour as well. I should mention here that taking photos outside in dark wet conditions was a challenge.

Of course, the pattern is guaranteed to be texture-rich and as always, a little bit challenging! Don't be discouraged though, taken stitch for stitch, round for round and with the help of the Videos, as well as the from our amazing Group Admins...you will succeed! 😊❤

I'll be releasing each part every 2-weeks. No rush, take your time! There is no official MAL Group Page ( but please do join our HooksnTales Workshop Group! ), no official begin or end time either. This is a SloCro ( did I just make that word up? ). So put your feet up, pour a glass of wine or make a pot of Tea and take it sloooow and easy.

Until we meet again at Part Two, happy hooky!

❤ Jen
❤ You can find the pattern here❤