December...ing

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! We have been busy, busy...of course, but nothing too stressful.

Catching - our last few lettuce except one before the first frosts of early December but I am pretty proud that we were still eating homegrown salad until at least the 1st December.

Trying - a game pie for the first time ever. It took three days! Marinating the meat first in port, constructing the pie and then leaving it overnight to cool down before adding aspic the the third day. It was delicious.

Working - my last edit for Minerva before the Christmas break. I made a bunting tutorial with Christmas fabrics.

Sewing - a Winter themed Rosa shirt dress. It was great for Christmas day and many events during advent. It took me a long time to make because of the piping detail which also hampered me being able to fit it easily but I like wearing it. I also made a simple jacket in boucle which feels more like a cardigan so I can wear it with my jeans too.

Watching - Panto at Shrewsbury theatre. I wore my winter outfit and enjoyed an afternoon out with the girls. I thought they might find it a bit odd being older but we all enjoyed the performance.

Admiring - the decorations and skill involved in producing such creative installations on a mansion visit to Attingham Park. Each room was decorated in the theme of a craftsman, trade or service associated with the house. Lots of artefacts not normally on show were used in the displays. Just a couple to tantalize you; the upholsterer and the carpenters tree.

Recreating - a few little things which inspired my girls at the Mansion. Big teen worked out how to make the paper Christmas trees we saw in the library decorations and made a few for us.

Decorating - our own Christmas tree and the house. We don't have outdoor decorations and our decs are pretty low key - mostly little things we, or our friends, have made.

knitty things...

Crochet things...

handstitched things...

wooden things...

Receiving - a beautiful door wreath from Beth who grows her floral display flowers on my small holding. She makes such wonderful individual wreaths every December and she always makes me one as a thank you for the year. This year I had cones, pheasant feathers and ivy.

Baking - Christmas cakes for Gran and Grandad, Uncle and a small one for me. Little Teen decorated her grandparents one with royal icing and ribbon. I'm all about the actual cake so Big Teen glazed mine with fruit and nuts.

Walking - with our dog Beano in all weathers. Spaniels need soooo much exercise otherwise they go even more loopy than normal. 

Eating - Christmas dinner with my husband, girls, my mum and my Aunt. Then playing a few games in the afternoon.

Checking - in with the view for you folks. The frosty weather threw up some superb views including one with the moon and quite a few with a warm purple/pink haze.

Relaxing - today with some blog reading, spot of crochet and and an afternoon cake bake. Where did all the other cake go???

Jo xxxx

I knit a really ugly thing...

  I have knit the ugliest, most disastrous thing ever.

I chose the yarn at Woolfest way back in April and in my head, it was going to be a colourful, unique tank top.

If only I reaslised by taking a closer look at the picture, after so much unpicking, that it was asymmetrical. The little fan was only on one side and the shoulders are not equal in size until you add the side panel, which incidentally is knit horizontally. Blah! Blah!

I carried on because a) I am a capricorn and b) I was actually enjoying the colourwork and how the yarn was knitting up. After sewing it up, I thought it might be better; but it was worse. In the instructions it suggests not even finishing the large grey shoulder and only adding rib to the smaller colour work shoulder?? 

It had a 100% chance of actually going in the compost bin until I tried it on. The sizing was pretty good. It looked better on, so for now, it has a 50% chance of survival. I have had to put it away for a while because I couldn't give it any more of my enthusiasm. Maybe in the new year I will work on the armholes.

On the plus side, my mum has been coming up with some amazing knits. She made me this Kate Davies sweater which I love. I have enjoyed wearing pink for a change.

Mum has also knit me this tank on request. It is Sirdar 9306 which I knit for myself quite a few years back, but after lots of wear it went too bobbly to wear in the end and didn't make our house move. It is a fantastic garment for putting over the top of virtually anything. Cord shirts are notoriously difficult to put a sleeve over the top of comfortably but with these mahoosive armholes it is not a problem.

I made the babycord shirt from Newlook 6449. It is a dress pattern, but I like the fit and the details so it works well as a pattern hack for a shirt.

Lastly, here are the snowflakes I showed friends how to crochet at craft club. It is true...every snowflake is unique...even it is from the same pattern!!

Thanks for dropping in. I am off to cast on a sock or add to my new crocheted jumper. Maybe I will finsh some success. Jo xxxx