WOYWW Kitty Hide and Seek

She might be an old lady (18) but Rosie still has her mischievous side.

Don't see why the humans should have all the fun on Christmas morning! Now you see me, now you don't.

Bet you can't see me now!

Oh, ok - it was me nesting in your hexie project!

No cat in this one - just a new pair of house socks I've begun for DH.

It doesn't seem a week since the last WOYWW (click the button on side bar to find out more). I hope you've all caught your breath after a lovely Christmas.

I've promised myself not to buy more stash this next year, until I use the piles of stuff here already. However, I couldn't resist 5 different balls of sock yarn at House of Fraser at half price. The colour above is not very macho, but I'm making them up for DH. At 6'2" and over 20 stone, no-one ever doubts his masculinity and he couldn't give two hoots what colour they are, anyway!! LOL Neither of us ever use slippers, so house socks are ideal indoor wear.

I'm also gritting my teeth to finish the hexie quilt before starting anything else, so am flitting between that and the socks.

Hoping to visit all the WOYWW desks over the next few days. I did manage to visit everyone last week, but some were very late, I'm afraid.

New Year hugs and blessings, Chris xx

WOYWW Christmas Eve

Giving myself a good talking to tonight (Tue): "Right, woman, no-one (except you) expects all the gifts and cards to be hand made (some would probably prefer bought stuff) so STOP WORRYING!!!! What's finished is fine, and what's not, doesn't matter. The two girls (and their Step Mum, for Pete's sake!!) don't even know you were planning mini travel albums for their New Year Barcelona trip. Do what you can, but don't stay up all night, then forget it!" Watch this space next week, to see if I manage to complete them.

Ok, now I've got that out of the way, deep breath, glass of something nice, and catch up with my bloggy friends.

This Christmas has been a real exercise in stash-busting, including the cards. Over the years I've been given lots of cast offs from crafty friends, and this time, managed to make them all without buying anything new. However, I much prefer to give a Christian, Christmas message, rather than just robins and tinsel. So, I prayed, sat down at the keyboard and typed this straight off, having never done anything like it before:

Please excuse the smudge, it was on the lens, not the insert! Do feel free to use it, if it helps, another year. This way, I've used up all the odds and ends, but hopefully shared my heart, too. The glass is now empty, so I'm off upstairs again, to see how much I can get done before bedtime (10.30pm, I promise). Tomorrow, there are just a few last minute touches to gifts and, in the evening, I'll take Mum to her midnight Mass (well, 9pm).

Hope to see you over at Julia's for a virtual mulled wine, over the next few days. New to WOYWW? Click the button on my side bar and pop over for a whistle-stop, worldwide blog fest.

With love and blessings for Christmas and the new year, and thanks for all your friendship and encouragement. Special thanks to Julia, for organising our weekly gatherings.

Hugs, Chris xx

WOYWW Minions

I finally finished Dave the minion for DD2's pressie

The pattern came from here and I made him more festive by turning his cap into a Santa hat. The pattern was straightforward to follow, but working with as few as 6 sts over 4 needles took some doing, and not a few expletives (cough cough!)

I then decided to go the whole hog, and make her a minion card, too. I'm sorry, I can't remember where I got this idea - I think it was a WOYWW post last week and, if it was, please remind me, and I'll gladly give credit where it's due.

On Monday I did a second workshop for my prayer group ladies. We had a great time, and this time they learned how to make book page trees. Here's Pam's

It doesn't show clearly, but they just sprinkled a little glitter on the outside folds, which worked well.

Anyway, having wasted spent so much time on DD's card, I really need to finish the others today and get them in the post - or, I suppose I could always save them for next year!!

Hope you all have a fab WOYWW (click button on my side bar for details) and I'll meet you over at Julia's, over the next few days, for a virtual cuppa. 

Hugs and blessings, Chris xx

WOYWW Short and Sweet ...

... and I'm not talking about me!! LOL!

Suddenly realised it's gone midnight (Tue) and I haven't written a post. Our house is only small, so no room for vignettes, dioramas, or other large scale decorations. So it's just a tree with a few little pretties hung around the place

and some festive cushion covers, which give instant ho-ho-ho, without taking up a lot of room. Note one cat asleep on Mum's stocking

before finally settling down on one under the tree

I'm just making sure Santa doesn't forget me!

Nothing much to show on the crafting front - the minion now has all his limbs, but no clothes, and the Christmas cards should be finished this week (I'll post pics next WOYWW). 

Anyway, I must go up to bed before DH comes looking for me. Catch you later at Julia's for our weekly cuppa and catch up. New to WOYWW? Click the button on my side bar to be transported across the globe, looking at some amazing crafting. 

Have a great week, folks. Hugs xx

WOYWW It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ...

Don't tell them I took these, but here's Mum writing her Christmas cards yesterday morning

At 90, it's taken her 3 days to put a sentence on 18 cards, but I'll address them

Just noticed Rosie asleep on the armchair behind, with the abandoned hexie quilt on the back.

and DD2, on Saturday, practicing on her newly acquired machine

A sneaky one from my perch on the sofa!

They both hate their pictures taken and would kill me for doing it, let alone posting them here - heehee! But I'm just so darn proud of them both.

Meanwhile, I've been tackling the craft/spare room as I'm replacing the sofa bed with a proper, double one which will be surplus to requirements when DD1 moves house this month. The room has got so bad, due to me diving in and plundering, every time I start something new, downstairs at my sofa 'work station', and there not being a proper 'home' for everything.

'Not before time' I hear you mutter, quite rightly! 

The view when half the boxes had been
removed from the wardrobe

The bottom of one very sad, dilapidated box

What a difference a day makes - and some lovely new storage boxes. I only dared show the last two shots, cos this is how the wardrobe looks now - phew!!

I don't dare show you the rest of the room at the moment, but will, when yet more storage boxes arrive and get filled with fabric. These 45L ones are a great size for the job.

Yesterday, we celebrated my friend Joyce's 87th birthday with a wreath making workshop I did for my prayer group. They all seemed to enjoy it - well, Joyce looks happy with her result.

Back at home on the sofa, I'm still surrounded by Christmas pressie project bags - the holly brooches are almost complete, there's a minion with one leg, and the cards are well underway. Just about managing to swap/hide projects, depending on who's in the room with me!

Santa's little helper asleep in one of the pressie
project bags, under the coffee table

I hope you're having a good week, and keeping any festive pressure at bay. I have to say, I love Advent, and the lead up to Christmas, but then I am just a big kid at heart.

See you over at Julia's for our weekly virtual cuppa. If you don't know about WOYWW, click the button on my side bar, and prepare for a whistle-stop worldwide tour of great crafty spaces.

Hugs, Chris xx

WOYWW Birthdays All Round

Our godson, Reuben, was three last Thursday, and I went round to help prepare for the Narnia party. What a wonderful theme - his Mum had decked out the church hall with a snow scene, complete with lots of Christmas trees, and guests entered the room through a rack of coats. The food was a la Mrs Beaver - jam sandwiches, and snowy food, like marshmallow snowballs,  and the pass the parcel was wrapped in brown paper and string, just like Mr Tumnus's one. How imaginative was that?!

The reason she goes to so much trouble is that Roo shares the party with big sis Maisie (5 the day after) and Eden, who was 1 on Sunday - how's that for planning?!

I didn't make anything for Roo this time, but I'd made Eden 

a cuddly bunny 

and Maisie, a snowman brooch 

which she promptly put on her school hat.

Back at home, the Christmas crafting continues apace, with Mum's hat finished,

me wearing my sexy new socks (yes, I know one ended up 2" longer - don't ask me how! After Christmas I'll knit another pair to match)

Don't panic, I did have other clothes on, but just getting ready for my  bath!!

And this afternoon, I made a birthday brooch for friend Joyce, 87 next week.

Please excuse the strange lighting effects, compliments of energy saving bulbs and my cheap camera 

 I carried on working on the sofa, with the holly brooches, where some things never change -

"What do you mean, you don't need my help?!"

Hope you're having a good week, and not getting too festive-frazzled. If you need a break, make a cuppa and pop over to visit Julia and all the lovely WOYWW crafty places this week (just click the button on my side-bar)

Sorry this was such a lengthy post, but I hope you'll forgive me.

Hugs and blessings, and I hope to visit all the WOYWW'ers over the next day or so.

 Chris xx

WOYWW Jingle Bells All The Way

This week, crafting depends on who's in the room with me! I'm surrounded by felt holly at the mo, making a dozen brooches for girl friends, to put with a jar of home made, festive chutney.

So, these get shoved in a corner if a friend drops by

This prototype is not sewn together yet, and I think I'll just put two leaves per brooch - reckon this one looks a bit weird! Mind you, I know the button 'berry' is far too large, but it's too shiny and luscious not to use.

and this pile are waiting their trimmings

As soon as Mum goes for a sleep, out comes her hat and mittens set. This is yarn I'd used for DD1's Christmas socks, and the colour combo and softness are perfect for a 90 year old in the cold weather. 

When DH is out, I work on his Christmas pressie, a pair of socks (no pic). I'm doing them on larger needles and thicker yarn than I'm using for these, for me. This is what comes out when everyone is around LOL! The humungous ball was given to me, and I originally thought of making a baby/toddler jumper, but decided the colour change (every couple of stitches) was too busy for a little person. However, I love it made up as adult socks.

The hexie quilt has gone on the back burner, as DD1 will be moving house in the new year so, rather than finishing it for her Christmas pressie, it will make a great 'new home' one.

I hope you're enjoying the run up to the festivities, and not feeling too stressed. Take a leaf out of Rosie's book - but don't be quite as chilled - she's fallen off the back of the sofa twice yesterday, she was so fast asleep! 

I hope to catch up with you all over at Julia's today or tomorrow, for a virtual cuppa. If you don't know about WOYWW yet (where have you been?? LOL!!) just click on the button on my side bar, and be transported around the globe, for an amazing, weekly blogfest.

Hugs, blessings and have a great week. Chris xx