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

Christmas Crochet Mosaic Roundup

 Here we are again another Christmas and another year of stunning Christmas Mosaic patterns, as always new patterns seem to be released by the day and I will add them here as soon as they become available.

Evergreen Dreams by designer  Robin Parent

Mosaic Christmas tree skirt by designer  Susanne Toth

Poinsettias by designer Lucille Schubert

Gonk's Holiday Mosaic by designer - Rosina Plane

Sonia's Holiday Mosaic by designer - Rosina  Plane

Christmas Gnomes by designer - Anneke den Outer

Christmas Spirit by designer -  Sarah Athey

Cosy Christmas Blanket by designer  - Fiona Kirk

Arboreous by designer -  Robin Parent

Glorious Christmas by BebaBlanket

Deck the Halls by designer Lindsay Mika

Christmas Blanket

Magic Winter CAL designer - Ana Morais Soares

Click below for more great Christmas Patterns.....

A Mosaic Christmas

More Christmas Mosaic

Even More Christmas Mosaic

Christmas gifts and making a start with the Christmas Mosaic

 The clocks have gone back and I can feel myself slipping into hibernation mode, although I do love long Summer days I quite enjoy the cosiness of winter evenings as well, the ritual of locking the doors, closing the curtains and lighting soft lamps and candles, sitting in my favorite chair with my cuppa and a warm crocheted throw over my lap.  Then whatever project I'm working on sitting at arms reach along with TV remote and audio book close by. I am quite content sitting there in my little world and have to make myself get up and move around but to be honest it's usually just as far as the kitchen to get another warm drink.

What about you lovely people? I would love to know your evening ritual.  I live alone so I'm lucky in that I have no one else to please but myself.

I'm also lucky because I love to crochet with a passion and if it's a new pattern even better.  I have started not one but two Mosaic crochet CALS and to be honest I'm wishing that I had two pairs of hands.

The first is the one I told you about in my last post Sonia's Holiday Mosaic, it runs over six weeks it's amazing to think that if all goes well I'll have a beautiful blanket in less that two months just in time to be gifted for Christmas.

Christmas Crackers

Then quite by chance I came across yet another beautiful CAL for a Christmas blanket on Facebook and it's free which is very generous of the designer because there's a lot of work goes into designing any pattern but Mosaic especially because of the charts and in this case there are written instructions too.

This one is called Cosy Christmas and this the start..

The designer is Fiona Kirk and you can find the pattern here  However if you join her Funky Loops community on Facebook the pattern can be found there for free. The pattern is released over six weeks.  I would like to donate this one to be sold or raffled for a charity but I'm not confident that I will have it finished in time, if that's the case then I will put it away until next year.  I wish they would release the new Christmas patterns just that bit earlier.

Along with the crochet there has been quite a bit of sewing going on I am a member of the u3a sewing group and we brainstorm for little gift idea's for Christmas well in advance, we usually start sewing them in September, we had lots of idea's this year, just for small things to be gifted to friends who appreciate a little handmade something, this week I have made these..

Little lavender bonnets very easy to make, in fact quite addictive but I had to stop at five as I had run out of fresh lavender, they really do smell divine. 😊

Do you gift little handmade items and are they appreciated? I plan to make more little sewn gifts this afternoon the sun is actually shining and my conservatory beckons so I will say bye for now and I hope you all have a peaceful Sunday. 😘😘  

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.

Christmas is Almost Upon Us

 I hope that everyone is feeling full of festive cheer, It's the time of year when I think of all the lovely friends that I have made throughout the years and I try to meet up with as many as I can to exchange Christmas cards and good wishes for Christmas and the year ahead. I have had a very busy month doing just that,  invariably food is very much part of the equation and numerous Christmas lunches have been eaten along with a couple of afternoon teas as well.

Temptation meets us at every turn, chocolates, yummy biscuits, and don't get me started on the mince pies.  I have baked nothing this year because I usually end up eating most of what I have baked, I have have put so much weight on already and it's not even Christmas yet! I'm thinking February will be the month when I give myself a good talking to and will do something about it, I'll need the whole of January to finish off any residual Christmas goodies and psych myself up to cut out the rubbish and do some exercise.

I have done very little in the way of crafting this month but I did manage to make a few little festive crochet bits and pieces.

Little Lavender bags to hold some luscious smelling lavender from a lovely friends garden, she dries it and shares it with us.   I enjoy making these little bags and gifting them to family and friends, I left it a little late this year and didn't make as many as I would have liked.
You can find the patterns for these little bags here and here

Little decorations, I did intend to make lots of these but I found them too fiddly and only managed these, they are super cute though you can find all the patterns here

I really enjoyed making this for my little coffee table.  It's mosaic crochet and you can find the pattern here

At the moment I'm still busy with the sweater I started for myself, I'm hoping that I'll like it enough to wear it once it's finished, and I'm making cute little hats for NHAP  which I will show you once they are done. 

I am displaying my twelve days of Christmas cross stitch that I finished at the beginning of the year..

I haven't managed to complete the Festive Forest  embroidery but I will work on it slowly and it will be ready for sure for next Christmas.

I'm drinking out of this mug that me daughter gifted me cute or what?

I think I'll start a Christmas mug collection. 😊

Wishing you all a very...

I've Been Busy

 Thank you so much for all the lovely comments about my kitchen and bathroom, I have to say I am loving them both I can't quite believe the transformation I keep stroking my kitchen cupboards and opening the doors and then watching them close all by themselves, I gaze down at my new flooring and give a sigh of contentment.  As for the new shower in my bathroom it's causing problems I'm afraid because once I get under it I really don't want to get out and energy prices being what they are that is not a good thing haha.

Once the mess was cleared and thing's settled down I had to get over the 70th birthday, thank you for all your birthday wishes😘😘 I did have lovely day and week, I was quite spoilt it has to be said and got some lovely gifts....

This is one of the gifts my lovely daughter got me to use for my embroidery and it has been used many times already, it makes it much easier having two hands free.

My eldest son and DIL gifted those lovely flowers still looking fresh after two weeks and the terracotta rug you can see on the floor, I have to be very careful what I say around my kids, I did mention that I needed a new rug for the conservatory and so they got me one haha.  

I was complaining to my youngest son about not being able to find a NHS dentist and on the morning of my birthday he said I have put a bit of something in your bank account Mother so you can go and get some private dental work done 😲 I really couldn't believe it, as a consequence I have a dental appointment tomorrow and at last I can get some much needed treatment, it's over three years since I was able to visit a dentist.  I am very lucky I know there are so many who can't afford private dental care and are in agony because of dental problems. 

My brother has MS but was able to make this lovely barrow for me it has pride of place outside my front door

I could go on I got some fabulous gifts from family and friends alike and I would like to thank them all for their generosity. 

So What am I up to? 

 I am still working away at the Festive Forrest CAL although I 'm way behind and the CAL is finished already. I wasn't able to keep up because of the disheaval in the house and we don't have much natural light at this time of year so I find it difficult to see to sew the tiny details. I aim to finish it in time for Christmas, fingers crossed that I'll succeed.

Now while I was wading through my cluttered home a new CAL was being released and I was dying to take part, it was impossible at that time and so just as soon as I was able I bought the yarn and I started to make the Whoopa cardigan, by then the CAL was finished and I was able to see all the lovely Whoopa's that had been made.  

The Whoopa CAL was a ten day CAL hosted by Tinna Thórudóttir Thorvaldsdóttir. Tinna has a video tutorial for each day which made it super simple and very quick it took me ten days and look.....

She has introduced us to slouchy blocking which gives the cardigan a lovely drape. I think mine grew five inches after blocking.

I love this stitch it looks like knitted rib, I have used it before as you can see here

I used James Brett Masquerade Chunky and it only took six 100 gram balls to make it I have a feeling that I will be making more.

Another thing I have finished is this

This was an experiment for me, I used Rico Essentials Crochet Cotton which is a 2ply. I Lined the back to enclose the ends and it's the perfect size for a pot holder. I tried this because I'm toying with the idea of making one of the mosaic blanket patterns into a wall hanging, it would be far too large and bulky if I used anything other than the 2ply which I have used here. Cotton yarn doesn't have that much give and you have to be more careful to ensure that your stitches are neat and even but it hasn't put me off so watch this space.

You can find the pattern for this cute penguin here

At the moment I am working on this can you guess what the picture is going to be...

and this is the start of a simple sweater for me..

Time will tell if it ever gets completed.

I hope that you are all well and enjoying your Christmas preparations, I have have done nothing so far and am still looking for some small gifts to hook up for my friends, talk about leaving things to tha last minute.  I have come across these cute decorations here but I have a feeling that they will be super fiddly, although I do like those teeny sweaters, we shall see.

Have a great Sunday 😘😘

Linking with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday

Hand Made Monday

Even More Christmas Mosaic

 As Mosaic Crochet becomes more and more popular our talented designers are creating the most amazing designs and as Christmas draws closer they are tempting us almost daily with a new festive pattern release.

Here are those I have come across so far this year, I will add to them as more become available, if any of you find any that I have missed please send me the link...

Starting off with a free pattern from Yarnspirations...

Evergreen Mosaic Blanket

This is Inset Mosaic and you can find the free pattern here

Winter Night by Gaëlle Urbanet
Paid pattern here

Frosty Friend by Marissa Tetmyer
Paid pattern is here

Lovely Wintertime and Advent Calendar Below

The designer is  Susanne Toth and she has a 50% discount on all of her patterns at the moment to celebrate SUTO Crochet Design's one year anniversary 

Her Ravelry Store is here

Facebook page here 

Ho Ho Ho by Rosina Plane
Ravelry Store here

Magda Christmas table Gaëlle Urbanet
Paid pattern here

In the Spirit of... by Anke Wintermans

Paid pattern here

Santa's Visit 
by Marissa Tetmyer
Paid pattern here

Snowscape by Abi McIntyre
Paid pattern here

Wintery Forest by Ana Morais Soares
Details here

by  Lucille Schubert

Paid pattern here

Oh Christmas Tree by  Ana Morais Soares

Free Pattern here

Click below for more great Christmas Patterns.....

A Mosaic Christmas

More Christmas Mosaic

Christmas Crochet roundup