Mixed bag this week!

I have spent this week getting some things finished for Christmas.  I managed to get some pressies bought, some wrapped, and of course some made by my fair hand, also that all important 'list' of goodies bought (we always forget what we have bought, and  for whom).  I finished by making some minced pies on Saturday and 'boy oh boy' were they good.  I  followed one of Paul Hollywood's recipe's but varied it slightly and it turned out great.  For my  variation I used the juice of an Orange instead of water to bind the pasty, and I added the zest of the Orange to the jar of mince.  I didn't have an apple, so that got left out of the mince, but I did add the chopped tangerine and to give that also added punch, about a table spoon of 'Van der Hum' (a South African orange liqueur). Even though I say it myself they were really yummy!!.  Unfortunately my photos were absolute rubbish, so no mouthwatering displays.

I was busy with the Minion Hats, and not sure I want to see another for a few weeks,  but they are funny little things aren't they?

Small, Medium, and Large

also made more of these

another gift bites the dust...

and you must remember my disaster from last week

Boo Hoo

well, just look at it now... re embroidered  the Polyanthus hexagon, and completed the wallet.

Hopefully, a handy wallet

Ready for its next owner 

I must show you my Amaryllis.  I bought the bulb in a supermarket ( reasonably priced supermarket!), potted it up and low and behold my beauty began to grow.  I then noticed that there seem to be a second flower head making its way to the light..... bit of  a bonus, but look what is popping up now ........ do I have green fingers or what!!

Can just see the third stem

Yes, three flower stems....... I have never had that before. The first flower stem has 4 blooms, goodness that means I could have 12 blooms from this one bulb.....what a pleasure 

I will looking forward to seeing this lady blossom fully.

What's new....

After Mr. N left last Sunday I felt quite sad and missed him very much.  Its always sad to say goodbye, especially as we have two of our children and their families living in "far off" countries. It never gets any easier!!.  So what's the answer?......get busy!.
Luckily my friend had 'set a mission' - which of course I didn't have to accept, but as I needed something to distract me this was the outcome.

Now until a couple of weeks ago I had never heard of Minions and did wonder what they were all about, but now I am suitable informed that they are cute little creatures that I would love to have around.   I am now going to be making a few more of these to add to our grandchildren's Christmas Stockings.

I have also made a few more skirts for my South African grand daughter.

This could be the front of this skirt

 or...

or you could also have this

 and a couple of these

I enjoyed everything about these skirts.....shopping for fabric, finding the patterns, and making them....Hope little 'Miss I' enjoys wearing them.

The other thing I have been playing with are those cute little hexagons.  I thought I would embroider a little flower on one of them, and all was going so well........until the iron got too hot.  Boo Hoo!

Oh Poo!

Back to the drawing board with that then.....

I am going to show you my new beautiful sink..... yes, sink.  We had a stainless steel sink, that I always thought looked a mess, and the tap dripped, so after much thought and internet searching we invested in a wonderful white ceramic sink and posh new tap.  

Owww!  I love it

Bet you didn't think I would be showing off  a sink did you???  Nor getting so excited about it..

Got to go now, more Minion Hats to crochet and back to the hexie disaster.  

Weekend visitor

I seem to have been having a bit of a quiet time as far as my sewing etc.  but we have been busy with visitors and visiting friends so I suppose you can't do it all.

This weekend my son (N) is visiting from Canada.  He is on a business trip, so we don't get to see the rest of the family, but having him for the weekend was a bonus that we were not expecting until two weeks ago.  One of the places he loves to visit is the big sports shops where he always finds lots of footballs to take back with him (he coaches a team back in Canada so loves lots of ball for them to kick about)  and this year our grandson has taken up Rugby, so rugby balls were added to the list.  Mr N has been a fan of Chelsea Football team since he was knee high to a grasshopper and although he has all the shirts, shorts, jackets etc. there is always room in his suitcase for a few extra bits and buying them here is cheaper than buying in Canada ....that's his excuse and he is sticking to it.

Mmmmm think I have one of those already!

Mum's got the rest of the balls

We also were able to send him home with some of these.........scary or what.

Very Very Scary

Do you remember way back we had a trip to a wonderful shop on  Vancouver Island and I bought a few goodies which included a 'Christmas sampler'.  The 'Sampler' was always going to be an ongoing project for me - to sew when I really had nothing else I wanted to play with - so its been one of those pieces that I add a few stitches, then it gets packed away for a few months (almost a year)  before resurfacing.   As I have been having a break from crochet etc, I decided to get the sampler out again, and I must say I have been enjoying having quiet time stitching the different rows, but my poor eyes are taking the strain so I really think I must finish this soon before my eyes give up with such fine linen. This is what I have done so far...

Over half way now

We will be visiting my daughter in South Africa in January (yes, our kids are all over the world) and my grand daughter has asked for some skirts........Pinterest was a first stop for some patterns then a bit of fabric buying.  I decided to to try a circular skirt, so 'Googled' how to calculate the circle for the waist (what would we do without Mr Google to answer all of our questions)  and then found some 'cuff knit fabric' (on that wonderful world wide web) and used it as the waist band.  I am very happy with the results and I think
 'Miss I' will be pleased that she has something soft against her skin.

'Miss I' wanted a long skirt, Mum wanted a short skirt....so Nana did a bit of both

I have also made a block to send to an 'online'  group who make quilts for group members that are going through a rough patch..... this particular lady likes chickens and traditional blocks so it was decided that 8.5" blocks would be good.  Someone will now sew the blocks together, someone else will sandwich and quilt it, and then it will be sent to Australia where its hoped it will give a bit of comfort and a smile.

My two blocks

 The weekend  with Mr N went so quickly, but we got in a nice walk through East Carlton Park before lunch and then the airport........

East Carlton Park

Lucky with the weather

Farewell till next time x

Ali Pali, bits bought and made

On Sunday I went with my Monday group of ladies to Alexandra Palace for the 'Knitting and Stitching show'.  I had never been to Ali Pali before, but what a wonderful venue it is.  Unfortunately for us the coach couldn't drop us at the entrance,  so we had a quick (but long) dash to the door and as it was pouring with rain there was no time to take in the views, but by the time we left the rain had stopped and I was able to take in the stunning vista of the London sky line - and what wonderful views you would have on a clear day.  I never realised before just how high the palace stood  and what a great position it holds over London.  Next time I visit, my camera will certainly go with me.  The show was quite nice with a good mix of stands.  I didn't buy very much, but it was fun wandering around with friends and climbing back into the coach to be chauffeured  home.

The weather has been getting a bit chilly on some days, so I thought I would make myself some more fingerless mitts as I did find them very useful last year.   Originally I  thought they would be a waste of time because it's my fingers that get really cold, but I made them last year and wore them about the house. They are really great.... you can carry on doing everything you want because your fingers are free (and warm)......washing the dishes ends up a bit messy but for the rest they are great!
This year I bought some variegated wool (from Alexandra Palace) rather than keep changing colours with each row, and must admit that works well ....... what do you think!

Now its time to play at a new craft.  I am not sure if I have told you, but I fancied trying needle felting, and when we were at 'Yarndale' there were a number of people selling all the materials - so how could I resist! Especially as the demonstrators made the 'art' of needle felting look so easy.  Let me tell you its not easy, for a start those needles are really sharp, and can so easily get poked into your fingers instead of the wool! Secondly it takes ages to get any shape at all, but do I give up.........NO!

So here is my first attempt at a gnome.. I have to tell  you its a gnome just in case you don't recognise him.

He is cute, but not sure I am going into production.

And last but not least I have been making some new patchwork blocks, this one was found here.  I can't tell you what it is for as I am on a secret mission preparing for Christmas but I can show you the block.

The photos were taken indoors as our weather has been very grey lately, so you have to excuse them.

Quilted in white thread

This one is quilted in a variegated thread 

We are visiting friends this weekend and they live near to Hampton Court Palace so we often walk along the river taking in the sites, but this weekend is raining again, so not sure we will be out and about much - still, good company and good food is not a bad consolation is it?

See you next time

Going, going, gone

As promised just a few photos of my 'undoing'

Just getting started

and now

Winding the rope back will be a task

and finally...

Ready to start again..

Back to the drawing board with this lot.......

Time just flies when your having fun..

Oh my where had the time gone..... I can't believe its been two weeks since I was at the Yarndale festival, but I can tell you the weather has definitely changed in the last few days and Autumn has really settled in, jumpers out and heating on.

What have I been up to..... not a lot actually.  I am making a few Christmas (go wash my mouth out for mentioning that word ) gifts, so I can't show you those, but I have finished one of  my little balls that I bought in kit from Yarndale.

Its been a while since I last did a Fairisle pattern

No 2 in the making 

they were fun to make, but I won't be going into production.

I have been playing with this

50 mts of rope

Yep! pinterest has got me into trouble again........ a friend saw this  and could I resist....... you know me too well, I offered to make it for her, it all started well

foundation row

and carried on for a bit

Think its getting a bit tight at the ends

I am not a perfectionist but I couldn't let it curl at both ends so...... I unravelled it

how neat are those ends now

I started again and managed to get the ends to lay nice and flat, but this basket didn't seem stable, I just hoped that once I started on the sides it would stiffen up .......forever hopeful

The plasters were needed as I was trying to crochet so tightly I was wearing my fingers out

I couldn't see how the sides were going to stand up by themselves once they were 10" to 12" tall no matter how tightly I tried to crochet, and the base would need something (possibly plywood) in the bottom, so

after much soul searching I decided to crochet to the end of the ball (shown in the photo) and go for a second opinion. I hate to be beaten by things, but I really didn't know where to go with this.  I think the original basket that was on Pinterest was a lot smaller, half the size in fact, and the sides may have stood to attention for the photo shoot, and once filled with wool the wool would keep the baskets shape.  I loved the idea of this being a 'Moses' basket for a baby and enjoyed trying something new.........but at the end of the day the vote has been cast and its the end of the road for this baby, and as my friend provided the rope and the yarn she has the pleasure of the unravelling.....hope she sends photos.

I've also been lucky enough to be given lots of  cooking apples, and, as they make my favourite pie, I have been busy baking.  This morning I made 4 apple pies, now nicely wrapped and frozen, and also 2 apple cakes.

I used to make an apple cake years ago, so had a go at that again...

Looks Yummy

tasted good too.   I then did my usual thing and searched the internet for another apple cake recipe and came up with one that added Almond extract and flaked Almonds on top.......yummy  

Can you spot the mistake???

Yep! forgot the flaked Almonds ...what an idiot,- still, I am sure it will taste good.

Last, but definitely not least, I won a give-away Yeah!
Kate from http://bythebabblingbrooke.blogspot.co.uk/  had a give-a-way, she even gave you a choice of gift if you won, so I chose a foundation pieced needle case ...not dreaming I would win, but my number came up and it arrived last week.  As well as the needlecase kit, Kate made me a tissue holder for my handbag. I think it will go very nicely with this bag that I made a few weeks ago

Lucky Me!

Tomorrow I am off to the 'knit and stitch' at Alexandra Palace so I hope to see some new things that I need (like I need 'a hole in the head'!!)....but its all a bit of fun.

Happy Sewing

Yarndale here we come.

A lot was going on this weekend, our group was having its bi-annual quilt show which I unfortunately would be missing because I was off to the Dales to see our daughter (S) and family.  I had a date on Sunday to visit the very first Yarndale Festival with S.  The weather was wonderful, and there is nowhere more beautiful than the dales in the sun.  This is the view from their garden....

but we could not stay here gazing at that all day - we had places to go and things to see.  The festival was being held in the local auction mart and I had wondered how they would manage to 'tart' it up from the usual livestock pens, but 'tart' it up they did..

Not sure if you can see but we entered through the 'calf unloading'
- glad it wasn't for the 'old cows'

Bet this floor has never been so clean 

and the bunting was spectacular.....shame about the photo being blurred

 Most of the stalls were selling yarn, so can you imagine the colourful displays of dyed yarns and fleeces...

Just a sample

Some stalls were selling unusual cushions.....this Rhino just being one of them...

The Rhino cushion is the one on the right ...not sure it would be so comfortable
and it certainly doesn't have such a great smile.

 In the centre of the shed exhibition hall Lucy ( Attic 24 fame) had her own little area for 'knit and natter' and a few of her creations, including the (dare I say it) 'over the top' Standard Lamp.  Mind you if you think that is over the top, you should have seen the bus stop (no photo sorry)!!!

Let me tell you she had no time to sit

and this is the lady herself.......especially for you V.

Everyone had some thing to show and tell

S and I had a bit of a break to be a bit creative ....... well, we weren't really creative just trying something new...... yep we made rag rugged sheep.......so sweet.

Sheep grazing and a knitting kit to be made up

The food hall  (usually called the auctioneers arena)  had some really yummy hot and cold foods, some other exhibition centres could take a lesson from them..... two teas and a 12" turkey salad baguette = £5.95 .

This stall on the other hand was not selling its seafood delights...

All of this was knitted...some folk really do have too much time on their hands

As far as I am concerned the first Yarndale festival was a great success.  Entry price was great, food and drink prices great, and as far as I could see from the  few I bought, 'kit' prices were very good as well, with most folk leaving with more than one bag of goodies.