Four weeks and counting . . . . yikes!

I can't believe it's only four weeks until Christmas - November has passed in a flash, whooooooosh! I'm trying to be organised a little earlier than usual this year - I'd love to have that time just to make a few mincemeat pies and some cute little handmade gifts to add to the pressies - but will it happen!!

Here's a couple of pics of last week's tweedie creations (a long awaited toiletries wallet) . . . 

I lined it with some waterproof fabric . . . 

It just sort of worked out how I wanted to, which doesn't always happen LOL, but . . .

It's it in the shop here :)

Talking of mincemeat pies, here are some pie tins I inherited earlier this year while sorting out some family belongings . . . 

I remember both of them being used from when I was very little - happy days!

It would be lovely to use them this year - however I did buy a jar of mincemeat last year and it sat in the fridge untouched well into January and beyond (ooops!)  I'll try harder this year :)

How are your plans for Christmas going?  Are you a last minute frantic shopper or a methodical, uber-organised type?  I quite like a little bit of last-minute shopping flutter - but only when I know it's for little fun items - I get the major ones out of the way first!

I got my copy of  Hundreds and Thousands last week - it was  nice to get a little package from Oz!

It's a cute little publication about all things handmade and you can buy your copy here.  Well done ladies - I hope you little magazine goes from strength to strength!  I might be trying that recipe for orange cake -  it looked  yummy!

Well, I'm off now . . . no time to waste!  Things to make and cakes to bake - would  be nice to spend all the time doing that, wouldn't it, hehe - dream on :) :)

Cheerio!

Alison x

Lost a week . . . . have a heart :)

I'm not really sure what's happened this week - plans to do this, that, and the next, just went awry, sound familiar? :) :)   Still doing some glove knitting but I won't bore you continually with that!

I found a pattern for a fair isle heart a little while ago here and decided to give it a go - well, sometimes you just have to give in to temptation, hehe :)  I was a little intrigued to try it because it is not knitted in the round, but on two needles which meant I would have to purl in English and continental style on the reverse - eeks!  I learnt how to knit and purl in continental style to do my fair isle knitting but had never really practiced to do purl stitch - so off I went.  

I would only do fair isle knitting on two needles on a very small project like this as it's far more laborious than knitting in the round.  It worked though - and I got to use these cute floral bamboo needles I got free with a knitting magazine . . . .

. . . once I started, I just couldn't stop . . .

. . . I was completely entranced . . .

. . . but it turned out pretty cute I think!

Such a lovely pattern - I made another one to keep it company . . .

Sweet for Christmas decorations I think :)  Have a nice weekend!

Cheerio an Drasda :)
Alison x

Something tweedie . . . . at last :) :)

At long last, a tweedie creation - I've physically dragged myself away from the knitty glove-making fetish I've been on recently (it was a very difficult wrench, believe me!) - and here we have a little tweedie Xmas decoration . . . 

A humble start, but I think he's quite cute and I've actually added him to my Etsy shop here  - how amazing is that, hehe!  He's all ready and packaged up - waiting to fly off to some far flung (or not!) destination.  I had a lot of fun making him this morning (yes, he's really that fresh off the sewing machine!) - from making a very quick doodle of a robin . . . 

. . . cutting out a card template and making some quick design decisions :)  I love how he's turned out though, I embroidered a little beady eye and machine appliqued the edges (both sides are Harris Tweed).  His little stick legs were an  afterthough - but I couldn't resist LOL :)  

Here he is all packaged up, on recycled card and protected with cellophane . . .

I think I'll  be making him some more friends to hang out with this week - I don't want him to be lonely, poor thing :)  I think  he would make a sweet little Xmas gift though ;-)

OK, I've not managed to wrench myself away from gloves because I LOVE making them - sorry did I shout??  I made a pair of fingerless ones from a pattern in Ann Budd's book - basic glove pattern - this lady is a genius . . .

First she taught me how to knit socks, and then to knit gloves!

Actually I had bumbled along with another pattern first but her basic glove  pattern is nice and simple to follow.  The book behind is one jam-packed with glove patterns by Susette Palmer - I'm  desperate to try some of these.  Here's the fingerless gloves I made using Ann Budd's pattern . . .

I made them for youngest kiddo - but they're too big for him so I think I might post them off to my eldest in Uni - they might be useful for typing up assignments in the cold weather!  I'm now on another pair for Little S - so hopefully they'll fit him OK :)

And, em, yes I do sleep - but going by my 'to do list' I really shouldn't bother!  I'll keep you up to date with my creation of a flock? of tweedie robin redbreasts :)

Cheerio!
Alison x

N.B.  Quick shop update - there are now 3 little robin redbreasts for sale :) :)  Here are the two new 'friends'!