December 19th

 This week is going to fly by but I would like to find the time to get at least a couple of posts before Christmas is upon us.

Bonnie came to spend the day today.  School has finished and she said it was boring staying with daddy while he worked and could she stay with nanny instead.  She's no trouble at all so I didn't mind, although I had planned on wrapping the last of the presents today, that job has now been added to tomorrows list and I'll be glad when it's done because It's not something I really enjoy doing.

She was excited to help me ice and decorate the Christmas cake I made a few weeks ago.  I was late making it but I used a fruit mix that is already soaked in brandy so that eliminated the need for weeks of feeding.  I've used it before and the cake turned out lovely, I'll report back on the verdict of this one once we have tasted it next week.

I used both the ready to roll marzipan and fondant icing, they are so easy to use, and why make work for yourself at this time of year 😉 

Bonnie cut out some stars for decoration and rolled snowballs from the icing for the penguins to have a snowball fight.  I think it came out really cute.

Can you spot the penguin who got a snowball in the face, (oops, that was nanny's idea 🤣)

Mark isn't keen on Christmas cake so I hope there will be some that will like a slice, otherwise I'm going to put a stone on over Christmas!

-X-

December 12th - How I knit my mitered square blanket

I promised last time to time to tell you more about my mitered squared blanket.  Whenever I have shown it on here I get questions about where the pattern can be found, so today I thought I'd share how I'm knitting mine.

There many different variations on the mitered square blanket, most patterns  are really just a basic recipe so that you can get the idea of how they are constructed.   The one I found on Ravelry is by Martine Ellis, but like I said there are many others out there - mine Is a mash-up of several I came across.

These blankets are often referred to as memory blankets too.  They are great for stash-busting and by using up those scraps of yarn left over from your knitting projects you would eventually end up with something practical and beautiful with lovely memories attached.  

 I'm knitting mine using 4ply yarn and since I haven't knit that many things in 4ply yarn and only this year got into knitting socks, I didn't have and scraps to use up.  That's when I started buying mini skeins to use.  Over the last three years I have amassed quite a collection of minis, some through swaps, some through yarn advent calendars and some I've just purchased especially for my blanket.

I hadn't knitted on my blanket at all this year until this month and I've loved doing a bit each day.  Each square takes just less than an hour to knit and a small amount of yarn, 5g is sufficient, less actually as I find for the size I'm knitting there is still a little left over from 5g.  

So this is how I construct my square, I hope it will be of use to those who have asked about it in the past.

The pattern is just 2 rows, one row knit one decrease row.

(Each of my squares are 48 stitches and I'm using 2.5mm needles)

 (for the decrease row, right side facing)

slip the 1st stitch purl-wise 

Knit to 2 stitches before the center maker then knit those 2 stitches together

Slip the marker, knit the next 2 stitches through the back loop

Knit to end- knitting the last stitch through the back loop.

Slipping the 1st stitch and knitting the last stitch through the back loop on both the knit row and the decrease row creates a nice neat edge which makes picking up stitches for the next square much easier.

For the direction of the decrease I'm using one of the templates by Ellie of Crafthouse Magic which you can find on her Cosy Memories tutorials (part 3), on youtube. 

I feel no particular rush to finish my blanket, it's been in the making for at least two years and although It's been very neglected this year I still love it and enjoy knitting on it as much as when I first started it, half the fun is choosing the next yarn colour.

-X-

December 7th

I awoke to a beautiful frosty morning, our first this Winter.  I quickly got my jobs done inside and went out in the garden to collect leaves, there are still quite a lot to fall but the job is so much easier when they are not wet.  I've filled the green bin yet again, I'm so glad I opted to pay for extra collections this time, it's saved me so much time not having to arrange trips to the council tip every week.  

Most of you will have seen my stitched ornaments before but as they only come out once a year it's worth showing them again.  This is just a selection of them along with some new glass baubles I bought this year too, this tree is bigger and needed a bit more bling.  The Range had a great selection and they were reasonably priced too.  I think my favourite is the Santa in the last photo though, he is from The Range too, hasn't he got the cutest face!

I've had some questions about my mitred squared blanket I showed a couple of posts back, I haven't forgotten, I will put a post together for next time and share everything I know about the pattern and how I'm knitting mine, (there are several variations).

I hope you all have a lovely rest of the week.

-X-

December 3rd

Merry Christmas by The Drawn Thread

Stitched on 32 count linen with the recommended threads

I can't exactly remember when I finished stitching this piece, it's been a while though,  I've got a feeling It was in 2020 but I can't be sure as I can't find any mention of it here on my blog.   

I only got round to taking it to be framed in late July and got it back at the beginning of November.  I know they have been very busy with framing and I did say that I was in no rush but would like it for December.   

I knew from the begining how I wanted this finished and it's come out exactly how I imagined it would.  I love these seasonal pieces mounted in a frame deep enough that they stand unaided, and I don't have any glass on them as they are displayed for only a short time. 

As with other pieces I've had professionally framed this was done at my LNS by Mark at Betty Stitch Kit in Quarry Bank. https://www.bettystitchkit.com/

-X=

December 1st

 I have no idea how the first of December came around so quickly, but here we are creeping toward the end of another year.

November has been mostly dark, wet and miserable, I think it's my least favourite month of the year.  I like all the seasons for what they bring and try not to wish the months away, the years go fast enough as it is,  I do particularly love Winter though, I love everything associated with this season much more than any other, perhaps it's because I was born in Winter that I love it so much, I'll take a cold, crisp, frosty morning over the heat of Summer every time.

For years our tree has gone up on December 1st, this year with the weather being so damp and wet I decided that I wanted some light and cheer in my life, so I decorated last week.  It's been lovely sitting here on a dark afternoon with the tree lights on, I find it very comforting and I can't help smiling when I look at it.

I didn't purchase a yarn advent this year, I have so many minis already that I couldn't justify the expense, but that doesn't mean I haven't got one.  

When Bonnie came to stay a few weekends ago I gave her a basket of minis and asked her to choose 24.  Mark supervised so that she didn't choose all the same colours and they put them in bags which then went into the stockings I made a few weeks ago.  She really enjoyed doing it and I have an advent calendar for free.

This is what I opened this morning

I haven't worked on my mitred squared blanket at all this year so I'm going to enjoy knitting up a little square each day up to Christmas.

I also have a tea light advent calendar, I do love to light a candle when I sit down in the evening.

What about you, is your tree up? and do you also have a lovely treat to open each day through Advent?

-X-

Catching up, again

I always seem to be catching up with blog posts at the moment, I say that I don't go anywhere or do much, but lately there have been a few outings and things going so I thought I would try and catch up with some of them today.

Saturday was our Autumn meet up at the Nimble Thimble.  I do enjoy these get togetherness, It's a chance to catch up with lovely people and stitch all day with none of the distractions you get at home.  When we met up in April I didn't buy anything, I just didn't feel the need, however, this time I did succumb to temptation.

Putini Putini and Cottage Garden Samplings have some lovely charts and I love stitching Christmas and Autumn designs

I'd never heard of The Bee Company but just had to have these two cuties.  They both come with the little houses shapes, buttons and fabrics for finishing too.  

A couple of weekends ago I went to the Creative Crafts show at the NEC in Birmingham.  

I had intended going by train as it's way cheaper than the £16.50 parking charge, but there was a train strike that weekend so I ended up driving anyway.  I did save some money on the parking charge by pre-paying, still, £12.50 is still a fair amount for parking when you have to add the price of the show ticket on top.   Luckily I got a discounted show ticket which only cost £9.50.

My intention was to look for fabric for my new make at sewing class and also some sewing supplies.  I didn't get fabric as I thought they were on the expensive side and as I'm still learning I want to keep the cost down.  I did buy a few things though.

Pattern for place mats and table center, the fat quarters were purchased to make the table mat, I won't be making place mats.

A couple more patterns, both reduced, and a fat quarter of plastic coated fabric.

I also bought some tartan fabric and a fat quarter of fur fabric with something Christmasy in mind, and while it was still fresh in my mind I got on and made these last week.

I couldn't find a stocking pattern online so drew one myself, that was the hardest part of this project, I think I could have made the foot section a bit more boot shaped, but that's me being picky,  I am happy with them.

There was a bit of fur left over so I blinged up a plain red sleigh I'd bought from Home Bargains.

I just love how it looks now 🎅

Sunday was the Remembrance Day parade, many years ago when I was a Brownie this was a huge event, roads were closed and the parade went through the streets ending at the local church where there would be a service.  Nowadays our local parade and the service are held in the towns park, I suppose it's more to do with money saving than anything else, road closures and policing cost money.  There was still a good turn out nonetheless, although I didn't see any Brownies or Guides, no idea why.  

I took Oliver as Jenny was working and James' car was in the garage, thankfully the weather was dry and the temperatures are still very mild here.

-X-

Friday

Week two of the Christmas Wishes CAL, the snowflake section was released last Thursday and  I've just managed to complete it today.  The snowflakes are worked using tapestry crochet which I've never done before, the stitches are only double crochet but as it's done by following a chart It did take a while to get my head around changing the colours at the right point.   There are probably some mistakes in there but on the whole I'm happy with how it's looking.

There was loads of chatter on the fb group of people struggling and the fact that you can see the white carried yarn through the red, I must admit that I initially thought It looks a bit weird too and the snowflakes definitely looked wrong, but the more you did the better it looked.  Actually, now I don't mind the white showing through, it gives a fair isle look to it.

Week three was released yesterday but I'm going to have a break from it over the weekend.

I hinted at a new hobby a couple of weeks ago, can you guess what it is?

Sew With Holly is a lovely little haberdashery shop in our local town.  I popped in for some needles some time ago and found out that they run sewing classes.  I put my name down for when a space became available and got a phone call a few weeks later to say that there was a place starting in September.  I was very nervous because I've not really done any sewing since school, and I wasn't very good then, lol.  But I needn't have worried, Holly, the owner, takes our class and she is lovely.  There are usually only six of us on a Friday morning, (she runs classes on other days too), and everyone is either a beginner or improver.  Holly lets everyone carry on at their own pace but is on hand to help with anything you might need help with.  I needed a lot of help, of course, especially with deciding on size and cutting out.

I decided to make the Stevie tunic again, you may remember I made this pattern a few years ago but didn't really know what I was doing.  With Holly's assistance I've been able to make something wearable and modify the pattern to what I wanted.  I added in seam pockets and darts to the front and back so it is slightly more fitted, and I made it longer.  

The class is only paid for four weeks in advance and at £9 per class I think It's really good value.  I've just paid for another month and bought my next pattern to start next week, so watch this space, lol

I had a winning streak in September.  The lovely and very talented Martina had a Autumn chart giveaway, and I won Welcome Autumn by Primrose Cottage Stitches.

Thank you Martina, I shall look forward to stitching this as soon as I can.

I also won a yarn giveaway the same week on the podcast Little Likac.  Unfortunately It hasn't arrived, I know she mentioned that she had posted the two giveaways she had but it was around the time of the postal strikes, it's been well over a month now so I imagine that's got lost in the system somewhere.  It's so annoying when things get lost like that, postage isn't cheap, I have let her know today so that she can claim her postage back, if she's able to.

I've got tickets to the Creative Crafts show at the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow, I was going to go by train as the parking is very expensive but guess what?  There is a train strike!  So looks like I'm driving.  I have a list of bits and pieces I need want and I shall be on the look out for some fabric for my next sewing project.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend

-X-