Christmas Robin Stocking

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there

from Twas The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore, my favourite poem at this time of year.

I made this stocking for my Mum, who loves robins, last Christmas Eve but it was too late to show you by the time I finished it that evening, just in time for her to hang it up.

I adapted the Red Heart pattern I wrote about when I made a little photo tutorial as this yarn was slightly finer. I used a white acrylic yarn with a glitter thread running through it to emulate crisp, glittery, frozen snow. I just love it when snow is like that and not the wet slushy stuff we get so often. Isn't it lovely going out in pristine snow and hearing your footsteps crunching through it as you go along?

There was always only ever going to be a robin to decorate this stocking, nothing else would do but it had to be a flat motif I could applique. I didn't have a pattern for the robin so made it up as I went along. I added a small black button for an eye, three of  Lucy from Attic 24's holly leaves and two little red buttons as berries. It was all stitched on to the stocking and voila, a robin and holly stocking of which I am rather proud.

Mum loves her stocking, hanging from a candy cane stocking holder on her mantel.


I haven't blogged this year as I haven't been able to crochet much, I hope this changes soon as I have several unfinished projects waiting for me and I'm itching to get back to it. Thank you for popping in to check out my blog and your patience during my extended  break.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Til next time,
Hx

Christmas Stocking Decorations

Hi there,

Where does the time go, I always seem to be playing catch up at this time of year as it seems no time since I was writing about my autumn projects (more about them later). As storm Caroline passed over last week bringing freezing temperatures and just a tiny snowfall here afterwards I took some time out to to enjoy a lazy afternoon with a glass of mulled apple juice, a small crochet hook and some Christmas cards.

Yes, it's that time of year again when I like to write my cards and slip a little crocheted gift in some of them and this year it's all about stockings. I dug out all my fine crochet cotton threads and piled them on the table to choose what colours would make the most Christmassy stocking decorations.

Red and green were a given and I couldn't resist  the rich purple and royal blue cottons too with just one all white stocking.

The white one makes me think of vintage crochet decorations though the pattern I used is a modern one by Caitlin Sanio. Although I prefer bright Christmas and rich jewel colours I know just the right person for a vintage style decoration like the white stocking.

These tiny stockings are made from the top down and are worked mostly in double and triple crochet (single and double crochet in American terms). I used a 2mm hook and a mix of size 8 and size 10 threads so the stockings are not all the same size.

 Starting with the white lacy top then changing colour to work the body of the stocking.

Then simple shaping to form the foot and finish at the heel.

I like these little stockings, I wasn't sure about them when I made the first one but they've really grown on me. I think they go well with the nostalgic style of cards I'm using this year too.

I think a bundle of these little stockings in lots of different colours would make a nice garland or they could be added to gift tags for a little something extra. I love doing this each year and am so glad I started this Christmas tradition.
 

Til next time,
Hx

Autumn Projects

Hi folks,

The temperatures have been dropping, the nights drawing in, the trees are gloriously rich golds, coppers and reds, it's definitely autumn. Time to curl up with a cosy crochet project in the evenings and I have three current projects to share with you, a skirt, a top and a pair of socks.

The is a skirt which I'm working in Wendy Aran yarn. I actually started this project before the summer but found it too warm to work a yarn this heavy over the summer months. I'm using a deep wine colour for the main yarn and haven't completely made my mind up yet what the contrast colour will be for the squares at the bottom.

The skirt is worked from the top down in one piece until it reaches the granny squares. The pattern is this one from Drops Design.


 
                                                  


The next project is an old make I am reworking. Originally a tunic I made for my sister, it didn't fit her very well any more and hadn't been worn much. I made too good a job of weaving in the ends on this, finding all of them to undo this has been a challenge. I had thought to make a jumper from the yarn to keep my sister cozy on her long dog walks but I'm looking at a few different patterns.

My third project is a pair of socks for N using Woolcraft Superwash Sock Yarn in shade 44. This yarn feels lovely and soft so I'm hoping it will make a very cozy pair of socks to keep his tootsies warm. While I'm using the sizing and shaping from an existing pattern I'm adding a cuff at the top of the sock and using a different stitch.

It wouldn't be autumn without fallen leaves to crunch through on country walks, hot chocolate and cozy socks. I didn't keep well over the last year or so and now that I am feeling better I am really enjoying getting back to simple pleasures and enjoying crochet again. What are you doing or making this autumn?

Til next time,
Hx

A Paisley Bag

Hi folks,

I have had so many compliments on the Paisley cushion I made back in 2015 that last year I decided to use the same motif again, only this time for a bag.

Out of all the different colours I had used to make sample motifs for my cushion my Mum really liked the turquoise and yellow motif, so this time I chose those colours for the motifs worked in DK yarn. The bag was a surprise birthday gift for my Mum back in January.

I started off making 24 turquoise and yellow Paisley motifs, this time weaving in the ends as I went along to make sure I actually finished the bag in time for Mum's birthday and didn't leave the motifs lying forlornly in a bag.

The turquoise and yellow are such strong colours there weren't many shades which would go with them to fill the background so after much consideration I went with a bright red background and lining. I had to rework the motif background to create a more solid shape than on the Paisley cushion. There were a lot of rainy days while I was making these so I'm sorry the photo is so dull, the light was really bad.

I knew I wanted this bag to be a statement but didn't want the red to overpower the other colours so instead of sewing these motifs together I decided to double crochet them together with the turquoise yarn to balance out the red while the yellow gives a pop of colour in the middle.

Continuing with the blue yarn I worked the ends, base and handles also in blue. The photo shows the bag before I added the lining fabric.

The sides and base were worked in one long piece in double crochet. I started from the top of one corner on the first side of the bag, working back and forth until the base and sides reached the ideal width, then joined to the second side. I then worked in dc around the top of the bag for several rows before working a chain in the middle of each side on the next round to make a handle space. Continuing in the round, I double crocheted over the chain in the following round then finished by doing several more rounds of double crochet to complete the handles. I know Mum will be using this bag to carry books so I wanted to make it as strong as possible. I thought working these parts all in one piece would make it stronger than working a separate base and sides to sew together, and how could I resist less sewing??

Finally I added a lining in the same shade of red as the background yarn so those little odds and ends from the shops don't fall through. I was so lucky to find a fat quarter in exactly the same shade of red at Allison's shop, it's a treasure trove of goodies. I wouldn't have picked the turquoise and yellow motif myself but I like this bag so much I'm tempted to make one of my own.

Til next time,
Hx

Ooh Shoes!

Hello folks, recently someone asked me if I could make them a couple of pairs of baby shoes to be given as gifts, one for a boy and one for a girl. There are gorgeous baby bootees and shoes all over the internet but as the first pair were needed in a bit of a hurry I turned to my tried and trusted Nicki Trench book Cute and Easy Crochet to make these little shoes.

The original pattern was for slippers made using two colours on the upper however I wanted to change it up a little so I changed it to using one colour for the sole and a denim blue for the upper. The yarn is Sirdar Flirt, a bamboo and merino mix which is now discontinued but luckily I had a little left which I could use for a pair of baby shoes.

I added two crocheted laces to make them a little more fitted on the baby's feet and change the look of the shoes before nestling them in teddy bear printed tissue paper ready to go.

Just as I was thinking of starting a pair of Mary Janes for the baby girl, on a day out with N I spotted the Super Cute Crochet For Little Feet book by Vita Apala.

How could I resist? Once I saw the baby point shoes I just had to have this book so off home with me it went and I headed straight to my stash to find out what I could use.

I didn't have any pink cotton but did have some cream Wendy Supreme Luxury Cotton 4 ply yarn left over from a previous project.

I found the pattern clear and easy to follow and they worked up quickly. I'm not sure I don't prefer them in pink as they are so pretty, the cream contrasts nicely with the pink tissue paper though and the person who asked for them loved them.

So here they are, ballet point shoes for the tiniest of ballerinas, a girl is never too young to put on her dancing shoes is she? I think I'll be making more of the little shoes from this book, they are ideal for using up odds and ends of yarn left over from other projects.

Til next time,

Hx

Finishing Old Projects

Hello folks, it's been such a long time since I last blogged I thought I'd start again with the finished projects I had on the go at the start of the year.


I actually started this back in autumn last year, hooking the odd few rows here and there through the winter. I have shown this yarn before but as it was destined to be a gift for a friend in the southern hemisphere, as it took shape I could no longer show it to ensure it was a surprise. I had to wait impatiently until it reached it's destination in the now wintry southern hemisphere.

It's a Tunisian cowl, I've posted about the yarn and stitch before here. The stitch is a lace stitch and the pure merino yarn was so soft and squishy it was a real pleasure to make. As Tunisian crochet uses a long hook similar to a knitting needle it was made as a scarf and then joined before I finished it with a picot edging. This was my first attempt at Tunisian crochet and I was pleased with how it turned out, I hope it will help keep my friend cosy over the winter.

Back in February I showed the start of these cotton socks. I didn't know then that I wouldn't be crafting for so long or that I was overly optimistic about getting back to crochet and blogging at Easter. The pattern is Lemon Drops from Garn Studio and the socks are made using a cotton sock yarn from my stash and a 2mm hook.

The yarn makes the finished socks look quite different to the photo on the pattern as the pattern used a solid main colour and a contrast but I think I like it. Even though they don't look very summery they should be cool.

I found this pattern hard to follow to begin with and had to resort to the online video on the Garn Studio site, I'm still not sure if it was the pattern which was difficult to understand or my brain not working properly. I made the feet a little shorter to ensure a good fit for a small foot and I was really pleased when I finally finished them. They are now ready to be used inside a pair of wellies by my sister for dog walking through soggy fields and muddy woods. I finished them just as we got wonderfully hot sunny weather so they weren't needed until now. 


I'm now playing about with some lacy thread crochet and Paisley motifs again and hope to show you some soon.


Til next time.

Hx

Half Term Treats

Hello there,

Isn't is lovely to feel Spring on it's way? Cold, frosty nights followed by bright, clear days, I love them. This week has been half term here so today I'd like to share some half term treats with you. It's been a little strange this year as the schools are off at different times so it was unusually quiet around here as the kids in this area have just started their half term today.

My first treat was hooking up some of these sweet little hearts for no other reason than they are so pretty, though I can use them to decorate the house as a nod to Valentine's Day too.

This is from a pattern in one of my favourite crochet books, 75 Lace Crochet Motifs and I used size 10 crochet cotton with a 2mm hook. If you fancy making some hearts too there are lots of gorgeous patterns about. I like this one which I think would be pretty worked in pink instead of red.


My second treat was this magazine, I couldn't resist the cheerful cover of primroses and the article on the gorgeous crocheted blankets by Amanda Perkins "Capturing a rainbow in wool".

I love the bright colours and Spring beauty running through the pages. If you haven't seen this magazine before it has articles about nature, the British countryside and crafts as well as food, just about everything I love. I enjoyed flicking through it while enjoying my next treat with a mug of tea.
 

Stem ginger biscuits. I used a shortbread recipe and added finely chopped preserved stem ginger. Making these little biscuits is almost too easy. We really like ginger so I used quite a bit in the biscuits. This is my recipe if you would like to try them.

175g plain flour
115g butter
60g caster sugar
2 pieces stem ginger, finely chopped
Extra sugar to sprinkle

Sieve flour into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Cube the butter and rub it into the flour and sugar to form a dough. Add in the chopped ginger., roll it out and then cut out rounds. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake until firm and lightly coloured, about 30 mins. Transfer to a cooling rack, sprinkle with sugar and store in an air tight tin, if they don't all disappear before they are cold that is!
 
Unfortunately our planned half term trip to Perthshire was cancelled when N came home with a nasty virus last weekend. After a couple of days of staying in bed (for him) and lots of exercise running up and down the stairs fetching drinks etc (for me), he was better in time for the sun coming out so we managed some time pottering in the garden in the sunshine which was lovely, I really appreciate the happiness in these moments of simple pleasure. The garden is really too waterlogged to do much so we contented ourselves with a tidy up before it got too cold again. There have been more bright days this week which have made it a joy to potter about and spend time crafting in good light. I've done more of my cross-stitch project and sticking to a theme of small projects here is a little peek of my newest project. Can you guess what I'm making from this small piece?

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while might recognise this yarn, it's the same one I used for the tunic I was making last year. I got all the way to the end then decided I didn't like it on me and unravelled it, making for hours of frogging. Do you ever finish something then change your mind and rip it all out again or it that just me?

I hope there are lovely Spring/Autumn days and holidays to enjoy where you are too.

Til next time,

Hx

HAPPY

Hello there, mid January already, where does the time go? I do hope you all had a lovely festive season and have much to look forward to throughout 2016. I've been absent from blogland for quite a few weeks thanks to a neck problem which curtailed both my crochet and computer time, thankfully it's on the mend now and I can once again pick up my hook and catch up with people.

Small projects are what I need for the moment, something I can pick up and put down easily, so crocheted alphabet letters like the ones above are just perfect. Happy. What makes you happy? It's the little things that make me happy so I thought I'd share a few of the simple pleasures making me feel happy this January including these letters.

Pale pink flowers coming out on the Viburnum in our back garden. I love this plant, when there is nothing else out in the garden, including the snowdrops, I can rely on these little pink flowers for cheer. It brightens up the view from our dining table during the dull days at this time of year and I thoroughly enjoy seeing them. I snapped this photo from the window during a brief break from all the heavy rain there has been recently.

Another simple pleasure brightening my days is tea and cake. Earl Grey and Dundee cake anyone? Is there anything prettier than fine china teacups and saucers? I love pretty teacups and found these in a thrift shop a while ago. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to find them as the pink roses match the ones on my Maxwell & Williams cake stand very well, even though this china is decades old.

Although some things are out of our control, I often find happiness in taking the time to notice the small, simple things in life. As I returned home yesterday I stopped and took a moment to look and see if the shoots of the snowdrops had come up yet in my neighbours garden, and they have! I'm enjoying these short, dark, cold days of January, watching the birds feast on berries in the garden and feeling lucky to have a warm and dry home when so many others haven't. Spring, my favourite season, will soon be here, but not just yet and in the meantime there is tea, cake and crochet, what more could a girl want?

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2016.


Hx

A Christmas Star

Well it's finally Christmas Eve, the presents are wrapped, the crafting is finished, the Christmas crafting that is and it's time to show you my final Christmas make of the year, Christmas stars.

I made a clutch of these stars a little while ago and finally got around to blocking them.
 

I'm not sure where I got the pattern from, it may have been from a magazine but as I have it jotted down in a notebook with no reference I can't trace it.

I wanted to make a garland but I don't really have anywhere to hang garlands or bunting. No fireplaces mean no mantels.So I crocheted a long braid, attached the stars and hung it at the small window looking out onto our back garden. Red stars against the background of white curtains, they look better in real life as the photo doesn't do them justice.

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Hx

Christmas Stockings

Hello there, do you like to hang a stocking up for Christmas? We usually don't as there are no children in the house, however a couple of weeks ago N dropped a bit of a bombshell on me when he suggested we make each other something this year. I often make gifts for people but I don't usually make them for N as he has quite definite tastes so I had to put my thinking cap on and fast. He didn't want any of the usual crocheted garments so I felt stumped until I came up with one of these.

I've made crocheted stockings before for our niece and nephews which they loved, each one had their names either embroidered or appliqued with tatted lace letters and decorated with Christmas buttons. Why not make N a stocking and fill it with little (bought) gifts as a compromise? Yes, that might work but one lonely stocking hanging up? Wouldn't two look better? Perhaps more? Before I could change my mind (or have N find out) I was crocheting two stockings along with another decoration this week.

I chose this free Waiting For Santa Stocking pattern from Red Heart. I've used this pattern before and as it is a beginners level pattern it is very easy and quick if you have a couple of hours to spare. It uses a 5.5mm hook and I chose dark green DK acrylic yarn from my stash for N's stocking and purple DK for the second one.  The stocking doesn't need a lot of yarn, I had just under 100g each of the purple and green yarns and still have some left after finishing the stockings. I've only used the purple for photos as it shows up better than the very dark green.

The pattern is worked from the top down and is written in American terms but is easy to follow as it only uses double crochet throughout (written as sc on the pattern). It is a great pattern for a first attempt at a crocheted stocking or if you need to make something in a hurry. The pattern uses two colours of yarn for the stripes however I worked the stocking all in one colour instead of stripes, only using a contrast for the heel, toe and a band at the top. I chose cream as the contrast colour for both stockings and took photos as I worked the heel and toe in case it helps anyone new to crochet wanting to make a stocking.

The heel is worked by joining the contrast colour yarn in the stitch indicated on the pattern for the chosen size and double crocheted to the end.

The dc is then continued along the opposite edge to join the two sides.

The heel is shaped by decreasing,

and then increasing before moving on to the foot.

The main colour is joined to the heel in the relevant stitch and a row of dc is worked to the end of the heel where it then joins to the bottom of the leg.

The pattern continues in dc to the end of the row. The foot is worked by continuing in dc until the desired length is reached before joining the contrast colour to work the toe.

The toe is worked in one section at a time and shaped by decreasing, then the foot is folded and all the seams are sewn together to finish the stocking.

I tweaked the pattern by making the leg slightly shorter and finished it by joining the contrast yarn to the top of the leg, working in the round to create the cream band at the top. Before fastening off I made the loop by crocheting a 3 chain strap and attaching at the bottom of the contrast band. If you leave long yarn ends they can be used to sew the seams and reduce the amount of weaving in when you finish the stocking. All the stockings need now is to be decorated. Buttons, motifs, felt, whatever you fancy could be used for decoration.

I enjoy the whole of December leading up to Christmas but this weekend before Christmas is especially nice as I always decorate the house this week and finish with putting the tree up. I make mulled apple juice and mince pies and with some carols playing will enjoy decorating the tree with N. I've also been making a Christmas garland this week which has just been blocked, starched and is now drying, more on that soon.


Til next time,

Hx