Christmas This Year

 Is it just me or are the years speeding by that much quicker? it doesn't seem five minutes since it was last Christmas and here we are again with just a few days left until the big day. I am hosting Christmas this year, I don't know how it happened but there you go, I haven't hosted Christmas since I moved into this tiny house of mine and I'm wondering how we are going to manage it, but all the family won't be present as son number two and family will be spending Christmas with his in-laws and son number three is at present in South Korea awaiting the birth of his first child! yes you heard right my baby son is going to be a Daddy, ok well not quite the baby anymore but hey they are always your babies aren't they?  Minju my beautiful daughter in law is due at the beginning of January and.... it's going to be a girl!!! my first granddaughter😊I wish they lived closer and I wish I could be there at the birth but there you go I'm just hoping all will go well and I can't wait to see pictures/video's of her.

So there will be six adults a child and a baby spending Christmas in my tiny abode, I'm trying to push things into the garage to make more space and I'm making a plan, a floor plan and an everything else plan so it should be ok, past Christmases haven't gone that well for me as you can read in this post written  8 years ago! but now I'm going to play the old lady/bad back card and hopefully everyone will be here on time and do their bit to help, wish me luck!

The lead up to Christmas has been filled with lots of festive crafting...

Baubles Galore.

One of the ladies in my crochet group came up with the brilliant idea of using plastic pool balls as a base for Christmas baubles since then there has been no let up and bauble mania has taken hold.  I honestly can't tell you have many we have made..

from these

to these

Once you get going you get hooked literally😆Why so many you may ask? well we have been giving the Marina some festive cheer...

and of course we wanted some for ourselves, they look great strung up with my Christmas pictures

and hanging on the tree, I like my tree to have traditional colours as you can see, I knit the little santa's when I was living in Syria, they must be over 40 years old! I taught my sisters in law how to knit them too and apparently they are still making them to this day. I love how tree ornaments bring back so many happy memories don't you? it seems like the modern trend is to change them each year with different colours to match the decor, each to their own but I think I'm now to old to change.

The baubles are easily made without a pattern but there are some lovely bauble patterns out there, I used the patterns from this website and there is a lot of choice.

Christmas Trees

These little trees seem to be very popular this year you can see them on all the social media sites and I'm not surprised because they are so easy! a christmas tree made out of a granny square, I have made lots of these as well, even small ones to hang onto gifts, the possibilities are endless, I did decorate some with beads and silver charms but forgot to take a photo. I popped them inside Christmas cards to give as a little gift.

Here they are hanging with trees of Christmases past.

You can find the how to here.

Remember the Penguin I mentioned in the last post? well here he is all ready to be gifted to grandson number three, little Louis, I have a feeling that after a quick cuddle he'll get thrown on the floor but I'm sure Louis's Mummy will rescue him and put him away and bring him out each Christmas.

I have been sewing too, a little Christmas tree embroidery hoop..

There is much more, the u3a crafting groups have been making all sorts of Christmas things to raise finds for charities but more about that later.

Have a great Sunday 😘😘

A New Arrival

 

Thank you for all the lovely Comments in my last post, it's been a while since I have even been able to visit this little space of mine so some of your comments have just been published I love and appreciate each and every one.😘😘

It's been a very busy few weeks but I'm happy to announce the arrival of Grandson number three little Louis, he was born on the 29th February so he's a leap year baby, his Daddy is a Christmas day baby and his brother little Mikey has his birthday on the same day as my brother. It's strange how things work out and how the same numbers seem to crop up in families time and time again, have you noticed it in yours?

Anyway I digress, little Louis is as sweet as can be but his poor mummy had quite a time of it, three days in labour! she was sent home from the hospital on two consecutive nights and  on the third she delivered right in the middle of them giving her an epidural so no pain relief! I feel so sorry for us woman I really do the things we have to put up with! 

I stayed with them to look after Mikey the days leading up to the birth and we went into the hospital the morning after he was born so that Mikey could say hello to his new little brother, I was struck at how things have changed for the worse in the six years since Mikey was born, it's so obvious that the NHS is under strain with staff shortages in all departments Midwifery being one of the worst area's affected.  I could go on, as a retired midwife/nurse it's very sad to see.

This is really just a short post to let you know that I am still around but quite busy with family stuff.  I have my MRI scan today to see if it sheds any light on the tingling/numb sensations in my head and face and it's bang in the middle of Mother's day so there won't be much celebrating going on haha.

I'll leave you with some photos and hopefully things will get back to normal very soon.😊

Just a Few hours old

First hug from big brother Mikey

First outing big brother Mikey's baby blanket made six years ago by Grandma still looks new

This is baby Julian now five months old, showing off his first two teeth, they have just come through much to the relief of mammy and daddy 

Julian loves playing with his Lovey toy, now grandma is going to have to make one for cousin Louis too.

I have started knitting another pair of socks for my Lip Reading teacher Anne 

The making of Easter Chicks still goes on, these were made with a crochet square so easy to make. 

Progress is very slow but I'm enjoying the process.

Happy Mother's Day to all who are celebrating! 😘😘

Linking with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching

January End Of The Month Round Up

 Hello and Happy Sunday! There's quite a lot going on in the crafty corner I can tell you and I think it could become a little overwhelming if I don't stop to re-assess and decide how to move forward.  

As you know I  love the idea of  making something different at the weekends so that I can put my WIPS to one side and get the satisfaction of having a finish. The Sophie scarf was made in a few hours and I'm wearing it ...

I quite like it, but it's too big if I make it again I would make it shorter and not so wide, I would also use a better yarn, something softer and maybe variegated.

The pattern I used is here.

This weekend I'm making butterflies because the u3a knitting and crocheting groups are going to yarn bomb our station again. Click here and here  if you would like to see our past displays, that was more than two years ago but since those displays were taken down we continue to hang bunting to the fence surrounding the Station and I think it really puts a smile on the faces of residents and visitors to the Town.   We are thinking a bigger Spring type theme/display this time and I thought that these butterflies would fit the bill quite nicely....

Aren't they pretty? they are named  The Resilient Butterfly and great for using up little bits of stash yarn, the  pattern for these comes with a youtube tutorial and it can be found here 

The reason why things are becoming overwhelming is because I have deadlines coming up for my WIPS and, it's all well and good putting them to one side at the weekend but it means I am more pushed for time.  

Things are progressing, the baby onsie now has the legs complete..

I'm going to concentrate on trying to finish this next week because I need to make booties to match too.  Grandson number three is due towards the end of February, but as you know babies don't always play by the rules and he could put in an early appearance.

The socks are progressing nicely and the heels are starting to make an appearance..

There has been no progress on my secret project and I have a feeling there will be a mad rush to get it finished at the end of February.

Along with the crochet and knitting I have to get my embroidery fix too and so I have started another project to sew along with the The Year of  Woodland Blossoms embroidery.  It's almost February and every year I like to have a heart themed project on the go, here are a couple I made  in previous years..

and I have just started this ..

I found this design on Youtube, there's a great tutorial which includes some stitches I haven't tried before so it should be fun to make. 

I'm sure you can see why I'm overwhelmed one doesn't quite know which way to turn but in all honesty I wouldn't have it any other way, I love to be overwhelmed with crafty stuff.  How many projects are you working on at the moment? 

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday, I'm off to rummage in my stash of little balls to see if I can find some lovely bright colours and then turn them into beautiful butterflies.

Linking with

Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday.

Something for the Weekend.

I'm please to announce that the new projects which I showed you in my last post at the beginning of January are progressing nicely.  We all love the thrill of starting a new project but I find that initial excitement soon wears off and so to balance that I try and make a small quick project over the weekend and for this weekend I was excited to read about the Sophie Scarf, have you heard of it? It's a very simple skinny scarf more like a neck tie and it seems to be all over social media at the moment, it's funny how some patterns just seem to take off and to be honest, I can't really see why this one is so popular but because it's so simple and will be quick to make I decided to make it and really you can never have enough scarves at this time of the year.

The original pattern is knitted and can be found here on Ravelry.

I have found a free crochet version on youtube here.  I intend to make this and show it to my crochet group because it's an easy project for them to make. 

I have found a nice squishy ball of DK yarn in my stash, I have no idea which brand it is because the label has long since vanished and I have made a start...

I will show you the finished article once it's done.

My WIPs are coming along slowly, I do have deadlines for these 

Kevin's socks ..

These need to be gifted for his birthday end of February, I have reached the heel flap on one and have started the second sock as you can see, I always make a pair of socks together otherwise the second sock would never materialise. Since starting these I have been asked to make socks for some of the members of my Lip Reading group so I have been taking foot measurements and asking them for colour preferences, I have told them it may take a while but I will get around to it sometime. 😊

Baby Onsie for Grandson number three due at the end of February too....

I have a third WIP on the go only to be disclosed after it has been completed and gifted and then we have the year of woodland blossoms embroidery, the January segment has been completed ....

Once again we are expecting a storm here with gale force winds so I intend to stay snug inside and crochet my Sophie scarf.  What are your plans for the day? whatever they are I wish you all a peaceful and relaxing happy Sunday. 😘😘

Linking with Kathy's slow stitching Sunday

The First Week

 The first week of the year has been a week of putting away the Christmas decorations and tidying up.  Everything looks quite empty when the decorations have been put away don't you think? I'm always in the mood for buying something new at the beginning of the year and I'm afraid I've gone a bit over the top this year..

A new runner for the hall, please excuse the dark photos we are living in a grey world right now.

a new rug for the kitchen, something nice and bright to cheer me up.

I bought this photo from a very talented photographer in my u3a photography group a couple of years ago meaning to frame it but not ever getting around to it until now. I love this photo and I think it looks lovely on my wall now that it's framed. 

There have been other bits and pieces like storage containers and this wall hanging

A planter to cheer up my Rubber plant

All quite small and inexpensive items but it does lift the spirits a little to buy something new in this gloomy cold month of January but enough of the cheering up I think I must reign myself in.😉

I have made a start on the baby onesie, requested by my daughter-in-law 

  It's a lovely pattern to follow and very well explained by Simona Crochet on YouTube

This came in the post 

and I have made a start

The yarn for the red and green man socks requested by my friend has arrived and I'm itching to make a start this afternoon, it's so long since I made socks I'm getting quite excited at the thought haha

The flexi hoop arrived for my The Year of Doodles stitchery and it's now hanging in my conservatory..

I found it really hard to place this in the flexi hoop, trying to get it centred while at the same time trying to push the hoop in place it took me several attempts and I have to say I was quite worn out at the end of it, but I do love how this type of hoop keeps the fabric lovely and taught not a wrinkle or crease in sight, it may not be perfectly centred but please don't ask me to take it out and do it again I will live with the slight imperfection haha, if someone has the knack of using these hoops without all the drama I would love to know.😄

What else has happened this week? ah yes a routine trip to the dentist where I was told I need two crowns replacing they have worn through to the metal! so I have a 90 minute!! appointment scheduled for February, 90 minutes in a dental chair, how will I stand it. I'm putting it right out of my mind for now.

Wow so looking back this first week of the year has been quite eventful, next week all u3a activities recommence and I have things on everyday so I'm going to enjoy a peaceful relaxing Sunday afternoon working on my man socks, I hope your first week of the year has been a good one and you have a relaxing Sunday. 😘😘

Linking with Kathy's slow stitching Sunday

Two End Of Year Finishes.

 Here we are at the very last day of the year! were did it go, it doesn't seem like a whole year since I was saying the very same thing. 

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, mine was spent with family but it was a very tense time as my daughters neighbours house had a partially collapsed wall with the bricks all banging against my daughters home in the gale force winds and causing damage to her property, she was told that her eaves could collapse too and as you can imagine it cast a huge shadow over Christmas.  She has spent the week having workmen come to see if her property was in danger and the mixed response is unreal, one said yes her eaves were in danger of falling and it would cost £5000 to repair, another said there was no immediate danger but it needed repairing and would cost £2700 and the third has said there is nothing wrong and needs no intervention! who to believe? certainly not the first that's for sure. She is waiting for another workman to come as we speak.  

The Christmas Throw ta daaa.... 

I managed to complete my daughters throw just two days before we travelled to Qatar and gifted to her before we went, she loved it...

I embroidered this on the back

I loved making this throw it's Sonia's Holiday Mosaic by Rosina Plane, I did omit the Angels which were the last pattern on the throw as I though they looked a little scary and replaced them with the gifts tied in a bow instead.

I didn't manage to complete the other Christmas throw I was making but it doesn't matter as it will be ready in plenty of time to be gifted to a charity for next Christmas

 The Year of Doodles stitchery

I actually completed this just last night, I can't tell you how much fun I have had making this...

I am waiting for a flexi hoop to arrive and then I'll frame it properly.

I'm already getting exited to get start some new projects for 2024, my daughter-in law has asked me to make an all in one suit for her baby due in February, she loved the one I made for baby Julian here so I may make another for grandson number three. 

A male friend has asked me to make him some red and green striped socks! It's been a while since I made any, he is still wearing the ones I made him back here reading that post I don't know what I'm letting myself in for but it's good to see that he is still wearing them since 2015. At least the colours will be easier to work with, watch this space they may or may not materialise. 😂

I am eager to start another mosaic throw but I'm saying nothing more on that subject until it's actually finished I have the yarn and pattern and I'm itching to start.

I'm going to be sewing the new stitch-along by StitchDoodles 

A Year of Woodland Blossoms

 

I have ordered the pre printed fabric and I can't wait for it to arrive. 😊

So along with some charity projects it looks like I'm going to be busy.

What about all of you lovely people did you manage to finish everything you had planned for 2023 and what are your crafting plans for 2024?.

I always spend Christmas Eve quietly and am usually in bed long before midnight but my grandson Mikey and his mummy and daddy are coming later this afternoon so I'm looking forward to that.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and I hope that 2024 will be a good one for all of us, 😘😘

Linking with

  Slow Stitching Sunday

Wednesday Link Party  oombawka design crochet

Happy December!

My garden on the first of December what a lovely festive start to the month our first snowfall.

 I seem to be spending most of my time trying to keep up with the mosaic blanket CALs I'm busy with but I'm really enjoying the process, I could quite happily sit crocheting all day but life does tend to get in the way, wouldn't it be lovely if we could just sit with our hobbies and do nothing else.   I do tend to get carried away and it has to be said I am a messy worker especially when sewing. 

I have a few little sewing projects on the go at the minute most of them Christmas orientated. It's the decoration of things that cause the trouble I can never make up my mind, there is so much christmas bling to choose from and it's invariably the bling that makes the biggest mess, it usually ends up spread all over the place with the floor bearing the biggest brunt.  Then a friend will text is it ok if I pop round for coffee?  I know what you are thinking well if she/he is a real friend  they won't mind the mess! well, there is mess and then there is MESS. When this happens you see me hastily stuffing bits and pieces into bags and thrusting them out of the way into cupboards and then later I can't find anything.

I need to get a control of my life I know, take a deep breath and have a huge tidy up, put things in an allotted place then I'll always know where to find them, my intentions are good and I do that sometimes but strangely those items don't seem to stay in their allotted place for long I do believe that they are alive and come out to play at night. 

Anyway this is what is it I have been playing with.. 

Hearts

I'm not a great sewer, I do like to try, but sewing straight lines and getting perfectly curving edges are beyond my capabilities this wreath did test me somewhat, trying to get the hearts evenly spaced to make the circle seemed to take me forever but I think I managed it.

It doesn't need any bling because the fabric is very busy so I just added the bows and a tiny christmas tree shaped button in the center

Tree

The hardest part about making this tree was getting the stuffing right up to the top, I found that a knitting needle helped a lot. I can't decide whether to put a star on the top, what do you think?

Little Trees

These were fun to make and quite easy, in fact I may make more, they are lovely to gift and to hang all over the place really, I'm thinking about making a garland with them...

All of the above were started at my u3a sewing group, a great bunch of ladies but it has to be said there's usually more chatting than actual sewing taking place.  You can find out how to make all of the above online, in fact there is so much lovely Christmas stuff out there you are spoilt for choice.

The little trees above are similar to these here, but I stuffed mine and added a cinnamon stick for the trunk,

and finally my embroidery..

Almost there! I'm looking forward to sewing the December segment, I want to use traditional colours I'm busy sorting them as we speak.

I have lots of other things on the go but I'll leave them for another time.

The last month of the year already, how quickly this year has flown! How are your Christmas preparations going? do you put your decorations up early or wait to nearer to Christmas.  As I get older the time seems to pass more quickly and because of that I have started putting mine up earlier, it takes a lot of time and effort and so it makes more sense to me to have them up that bit longer. I don't put that many up now just a few of the things I have made over the years and if my youngest son isn't coming home with his wife for Christmas I don't even bother with the tree. Myself and my daughter are going to Qatar to spend the week before Christmas with him this year so I'm really looking forward to that.😊

I hope you all have a great week 😘

 Linking with the ladies at Slow Stitching Sunday

Improving, Some Follow Ups and Mosaic CAL's

 Thank you all for all your best wishes for my recovery from Covid, it was horrid! I'm hoping that I never get it again, I tested negative on the 15th day but it has left me with a cough and my voice is so hoarse, it hurts if I talk much so I'm resting it as much as possible, I'm hoping that there's not going to be any lasting damage because my throat was very sore for quite a few days and the continuous coughing didn't help.  I am trying to increase my exercise every day, my appetite has returned and food tastes almost normal again.

Onwards and upwards I hate to dwell on illness lets talk about nicer things like little grandson number two  I actually got to meet him for the first time yesterday.

Baby Julian

I was happy to see him wrapped in the little blanket I had made for him but he was wearing a crochet jacket which his mummy had bought from Etsy and I couldn't help thinking why buy from Etsy when he has a grandma who is more than willing to make him anything he needs but DIL said she had gone a little crazy with buying him far too much stuff than he will ever need. I'm already planning what I can make him for when he gets older.

More good news which I didn't want to share until we were sure that all was going to be ok, if you remember grandson number one Mikey's mummy lost a baby a couple of years ago but now she is pregnant again and due in February, she is having a boy as well so I'll have three lovely little grandsons.

Tedds Poncho

Ted was so happy with his poncho and wore it for the Abba Tribute 

Ted Wearing His Poncho

Apparently it was a great show and everyone had a fabulous time, I was so sorry to have missed it, Ted says he is looking forward to wearing his poncho to many more Red Hatter events and thanked me with a crochet pattern booklet and a gift voucher for a yarn store bless him I didn't expect anything I enjoyed making it for him.

I was asked to make a pair of thumbless mittens for my  friend Carols granddaughter, Carol  loves to crochet herself but is partially sighted now and finds it difficult to crochet. She asked me the evening before I was due to meet her, I was determined to make them that evening and have them ready for her the next day. After almost completing one mitten I came to the conclusion that it just wouldn't do, it had almost no stretch and her granddaughter would find it hard  to put her little hands into them. Although I love crochet items you can't beat a knitted rib and so I quickly made these little thumbless mittens for her, I managed to make one the evening before we met and I sat knitting the second one in the garden centre where we met.

Alyana modelling her mittens

I can't wait to make her and Carols other granddaughter some more it's lovely to make things for little girls, I'm thinking cute little sweaters with hats to match 😀

That trip to the garden centre was my first time out following Covid and my friend Jan joined us there, she had brought along a bag of crochet granny squares which she had been asked to join into a blanket for Macmillan, she knits and crochets for them but she had never joined squares to make into a blanket and wanted my advice.  I offered to do it for her...

A nice and easy project which took no time at all

It measures 38" x 42" and it's made in chunky yarn and will make a lovely throw or lap blanket.

So it's been quite a busy two weeks and now I'm looking forward to a Mosaic Crochet crochet along which starts at the end of this month.  It's hosted by Rosina Plane and it's called Sonia's Holiday Mosaic, this is the blanket/throw..

I'm going to make it for my daughter, I already have some of the yarn and I'm in the process of ordering the rest. You can find the details here if you fancy joining me. It's that time of the year when lots of crochet alongs are being announced and I get quite excited and end up buying lots of patterns while they are discounted, another one that is starting at the beginning of November is this ....

Happy CAL hosted by Tinna Thórudóttir

A very easy Mosaic Pattern which would be great for beginners.

Today I will will be doing some sewing, I need to catch up on my embroidery..

I'm determined to get it finished before the end of the month.🌝

Have a great week ahead.💗

Click here to see all the great parties that I will be linking with this week.