It's a Wrap!

So a few months ago Helen started up giving raffle tickets to people who completed projects. Each month there is a lucky dip and the chance to win a wee prize. Isabel won the November dip but she was away. Back for her last day we re-enacted the moment.

Seriously, the stage is missing a truly great actress. Isabel was delighted to be a winner and was lucky enough to pick out a ball of yarn that will knit up into one of these fancy scarves. Isabel does love a scarf (even if she loses them) so it was good that she picked out something that she would use. Helen was the December winner and picked out a pin cushion.

Janice has been going to quilting classes for a good few weeks now. It's with the class she has been learning to do her large squares to make a quilt for herself. She also learned to make these beautiful glass-stained Christmas hangings. The Christmas tree was the one she was taught in class. As she had some Christmas fabric she decided to make another and designed the stocking herself. Very impressive.

Janice also has a new addition to the family. Her son recently got engaged. Not wanting her to feel left out she has made her future daughter in law this lovely Christmas stocking.

Her son also couldn't be missed out and she made him these Christmas minions. These were actually requested by her son. Love the bells on the tops of the hats.

Norma has been busy working on a commission. A friend of hers asked her to make a crochet bag. The bag was to be done in cotton and Norma isn't a fan of crocheting in cotton. However she managed to get it finished. I think it looks stunning. The lining matches the colours exactly. If her friend isn't happy with it I know a good home which would happily take it in!

Norma seemed to have a finish every five minutes on Tuesday. These beautiful baby blankets are for a friend and she finished them on our last evening. The deep pink is my favourite. The boldness of the pink is set off by the black edging. It makes a nice change from lots of pastels.

Fiona also had a finish. She finished this gorgeous baby blanket for a friends wee boy. The yarn is super soft.  It will make a fabulous blanket but it can also see baby using it as a play matt. I love the little flecks of dark blue throughout.

Helen is making sure that she stays warm this winter. She knitted up this cowl so that she could wrap it beneath her jacket to stay warm. It can also stay on when the jacket comes off. Love the colours! Also it's nice to see Helen knit something for herself for a change.

Margaret has been busy too. Her last cross stitch card was revealed. She stitched this gorgeous owl card for myself. I do love an Owl. I may have to find a wee frame for it once Christmas is over so that I can hang it up next year.

She is also continuing with the baby knits until she uses up all her baby yarn. This is the latest cardigan to be done in the pink. Like the others she has done over the last few weeks, it is for the hospice charity shop.

I have also been busy getting Christmas presents ready. I needed help in thinking up something I could make for friends when Lisa suggested mug cosies. This is what I cam up with. I filled it with hot chocolate and chocolates. Then decorated it with a little cross stitch tag.

I also have the last of our bucket lists. If there is anyone I didn't get round to I apologise. It's been a busy few weeks. Plus there is always next year. This list is longer because I forgot to list some of the previous weeks. The lovely Helen went round asking the question this time as I was giving a little impromptu sock lesson.

Lyn - Learn to knit socks, dye yarn and finish the snowman I started a year ago. Also would like to do more sewing

Fee - learn to do more sewing, taking up knitting without tossing it and finish everything I have started

Fiona - try to move on from blankets and scarves and actually do something I have saved or bookmarked.

Lisa - knit socks, master amagurami

Carol - amagurami

Janice - knit socks and learn to crochet. Finish my quilt

Stephanie - learn to crochet, learn to do applique with Val

Noreen - knit socks and learn to crochet

Norma - learn to knit socks, learn to sew and quilting

Susan - I would love to learn tatting. I've seen it done on TV and I'd love to give it a try.

This post is over a week late but that's us done for the year. We are back on the 7th January. We are having a swap night then so bring any unwanted craft items and you might get inspiration or pick up something you like. I will also be starting sock lessons that night.

Until then I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and an amazing New Year!!!!!!

Jean - December Member of the Month

1. Tell us three things about yourself.

I support the Glasgow Warriors, I love rugby. I used to have a newsagent shop and the most stressful thing I have ever had to do was this interview.

2. Who taught you your first craft?

I learned to knit at school as no one in my family knitted. I have been hooked ever since.

3. What finish are you most proud of?

My silversmithing. All the jewellery I am wearing is my own make.

4. What has been your biggest crafting disaster?

When I was pregnant with my first son I attempted to knit a pair of bootees. I used a size 5 needle and the finish could have fit a 6 year old.

5. What other crafts do you do?

I also do beading, silversmithing, knitting, felting and crochet.

6. List of favourites;
Favourite yarn - New lanark 100% wool for felting
Favourite designs - bags
Favourite colours - green and purple although not always together
Favourite shop - Yarncake on Queen Margaret Drive, I think it's good to give these shops business to keep them going.
Favourite craft book - crochet for dummies

7. What would you like to achieve in the future?

Knit socks.

8. What do you like to listen to or watch while crafting?

I like listening to music like Bob Dylan.

9. What advice would you give to a beginner?

You never believe when you start something how it's going to end up. So keep at it and you will be amazed by the end product.

10. What craft would you like to learn in the future?

Sewing. I got the sewing machine back out the other day. I had actually bought it for my daughter originally.

11. What are you working on at the moment?

I am knitting an aran cardigan for my granddaughter. I didn't bring that with me as I like something easy when gabbing. So we are also working on these squares to make a throw.

All the Pretties!

This adorable little girl belongs to Lisa. She is modelling a hat that Lisa knitted for her. Sadly none of the photo's I took really shows off the hat. Trust me though, it's lovely. It's done in crochet using variegated yarn (possibly Lisa's own yarn?) and has a pom pom on the end (as all the best hats do).

One of the group also commissioned Lisa to make a crochet hook. She already made R2D2 so it seemed only fitting that C3PO was next. But then, as a Star Wars fan, I am a little biased.

Margaret has been working on some Christmas decorations. She knitted up two elves. One for me and one for herself. It's the same elf that Roberta knitted. Margaret couldn't get the shade of green suggested so picked out a darker one. Again, I love the difference just changing a shade of colour can make. I also love the little tree decorations. Especially the robin.

Audrey emailed this picture to me because these cushions were already heading down to London for her nephews Christmas. A while ago we had show and tell and Audrey had brought a little owl cushion which my camera then lost. This is a bigger version of that owl. Audrey adapted both patterns to make them larger. Love them and probably just as well she wasn't able to bring them in as I might have tried to go home with them.

These are boot liners or boot cuffs. I knitted them up as I had just treated myself to a pair of wellies. A few people were asking me about the yarn. It's by Wendy and is called Roam Fushion. The colourway is called Fosse. It comes in 100g and would be perfect for socks. I got it from John Lewis but I am sure that you could get it online. The pattern was free from ravelry.

This is the lovely radley dog  and was knitted by Roberta. He turned out a little larger than expected but I think he is cute. Roberta also adapted the pattern to suit herself. I love his little dog collar.

Elaine has been preparing for her craft fair and knitted up some of these bags. She used bangles for the handles as Izzi taught about a year or so ago. I love how the different yarns make them look different. The fluffy ones using the eyelash yarn are my favourite. Would have loved one of these when I was a little girl.

Elaine also finished crocheting this beautiful blanket and pillow set. The amount of time that must have went into that and well worth it too. They aren't colours I would have thought to put together and they look amazing. This was well admired by the group.

Another finish we all admired was this beautiful quilted pillow by Linda. Each of these fabrics are from dresses her daughter wore as a baby. Her daughter is now 16 and this makes a fabulous memory piece. It's so pretty too. Such a good idea!

Magdalena is all set for the winter. She finished her cowl/scarf. It looks so lovely on and I love the colours. Very autumn like. I also love the buttons. They all go so well with the colours in the scarf. I love the fact that she used different colours.

Anthea has also been busy but nothing for herself. Everything she made is for Christmas. These hats are all for other people. It's a shame. Not sure I could give them away. Although, I am sure that the people who receive them will love them. I love the crochet flower on the red one.

These were also by Anthea and again are Christmas presents. The scarf is for her husband. Anthea is really getting in to her cables although she hated knitting black (don't blame her). The poncho is being modelled by Magdalena. The amount of time that has went into that. It's especially admirable since Anthea loves colour and doing so much work in grey was difficult. Turned out beautifully though.

I have been dying to see some of Fee's work and it's finally happened. In case you don't know Fee is a silversmith by day. She designs a lot of pieces but as it's for the shop she works for she can't exactly bring it in to let us see. We just get to hear about the wedding rings she designs from her mum, Lyn. Well, she made this lovely heart necklace for Lyn for her birthday. It's such a pretty design. I love the simplicity of it and I'm not surprised that Lyn was wearing it with pride. Beautiful!

Well, we have one more week left before Christmas and we have one more member of the month interview. So look out for that!

I also have a favour to ask on behalf of Fiona. Her sister is taking part in crocheting triangles for bunting. It's for a charity. So if anyone has any spare time after Christmas and would like to crochet something let us know. Fiona is going to give me the pattern so I will send that out after Christmas.

Christmas Party 2013!

I struggled to decide what to to post first. Should I post our finishes (of which there were a fair few) or should I post about our Christmas party. In the end I got the ladies on our facebook page to vote (I kid you not) and the party won. Fear not though, those finishes will be coming to you in a few days and well worth the wait.

Sadly, I don't think these photo's can convey just how fun a night it was. This was the first one I had made it to in a few years and I am so glad that I didn't miss it. There were a lot of goodies. There was plenty of juice for everyone and two different kinds of banana loaf. The mince meat pies never get eaten which is why we didn't go down the traditional route this year.

Everyone also got a Christmas cracker. I posted this photo as I get complaints regularly that I never post photo's of myself (one of the positive sides of being the lady behind the camera).

Janice had made some ginger wine. Does anyone remember ginger wine? You can see Helen here thoroughly enjoying it.

Everyone also brought along a £5 gift which they then wrapped. If you look in the distance you can see Elaine standing up about to read her Christmas story. Every time she said right or left we had to move the parcels in that direction. It made for a lot of laughter. The imagination behind the story was fantastic. I loved the names of all the Christmas elves. When the story was finished we then opened the parcel that was in front of us. It was amazing just how everyone managed to find lovely gifts for £5. A lot of great gift ideas in there.

As everyone came in the door they also had to guess the buttons in the jar. The person who came closest would win the jar. Yes, I did actually count them all as I filled it. The lovely Aileen won as she guessed that there were 690 buttons. In actually fact there were 672. 630 was the nearest guess after Aileen. Everyone also got a raffle ticket. There were three prizes from that. Aileen was the first to win and she won a knitting kit with chunky yarn. There were a number of choices as to what to knit with it. Elaine was next and she won the t-shirt yarn kit. With that she can crochet a bag. Lastly, Audrey won a knitted bunny kit. Can't wait to see them all knitted (or crocheted) up.

Despite the busy evening there was still a lot of knitting going on. Kudos to everyone who still managed to work on their projects. I think I got two stitches done. You can see more group photo's as you scroll down. It was a good night and I hope that everyone had a good time.