Christmas madness begins!

It is official.........Christmas is coming! Now is the time to panic! The evenings are drawing in and it is definitely time to start those Christmas makes to keep ahead of the Christmas madness. Margaret is on the ball this year and has completed a selection of Christmas wonders already. Jim the Penguin and Santa were proudly displayed this week. The amazing thing is that Margaret made these for herself and neither of her lovely daughters have snaffled these handsome chaps!

Birthdays are also very important landmarks in our lives. Margaret made a break in her Christmas preparations to create this lovely card.

How many Christmas cards have you made so far this year? Margaret has completed these five beauties for the Christmas season.

Esther delighted us with these gorgeous baby bootees that she crafted for her Great-grand-daughter. Yes, Esther, is a Great Granny!  Shhhhhhh! Please don't tell anyone! Beautiful work Esther! Your secret is safe with us!

I crocheted another granny-stripe blanket. This time I used some Ice yarn that Norma stocks. I really liked the way the yarn created the stripes automatically. I found the pattern and instructions for this blanket on a blog called Attic24 if you would like to have a go.

Norma has had great fun making this dolls pram set for a wee girl's teddy bear. I'm sure she will be charmed with it. The scarf is made using Oh-la-la yarn which is an Ice Yarn and available from Norma. The amazing thing is that, Norma, completed this garment in an  hour!

The yarn for this shawl was purchased from Aldi and worked by Norma. I really like the look of this and may add this to my list of things to try.

Fiona Orr finally completed this delightful baby blanket for a friend. Originally it started life in bright primary colours which was a step too far away from Fiona's comfort zone.  This colour palette works beautifully and will make a great gift.

Phyllis loves doing blankets!. This is a real boys blanket which was crocheted for her darling grandson. As you can see it was worked from corner to corner.

Lemon Ripple.

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This beautiful ripple pattern baby blanket was knitted by Margaret for a friend at work. As you may of noticed this pattern looks great in any colour combination. Just have a look at previous blogs and you will see what I mean. The handsome chap in the other picture is Findlay the Fox and he has been adopted by Margaret's daughter, Karen.

If you want to get ahead get a hat! Our charming model was kitted out in a hat and scarf combo created by Norma in Wendy Duo. And in her spare time, Norma crocheted this practical little shawl in sock yarn for a neighbour.

 As you are aware, rabbits breed like......rabbits! The Cuddle Bunnies and Dribble bibs were made by Janice and were quickly snapped up by members of her family as gifts for Mums-to-be. I bet they were thirlled to bits with such cute gifts. Janice also managed to complete a lovely Aran Jacket for her....Just in case box.

 
Stephanie found this pattern in an old magazine and rattled it up in no time. he was particularly pleased with how easy the edging was to do. The edging consisted of just two rows. Have a close look at the the little button that Stephanie chose to complete the garment. The finishing touches score high on the cute scale.

Not as cute as Stephanie's baby jacket but eminently practical is this pair of socks that I knitted for a friend.

Audrey had two finishes this week. The shawl was made for a friend's baby and I was struck  by the finishing details. A very special shawl in which to show off a new baby. The 5m length of ribbon was only £1.75 from Hobbycraft. The little baby hat and and bootees make a superb gift for any new baby.

Here we have a picture of an amazing wedding sampler that Audrey had made as a gift for her nephew's wedding. Unfortunately, Audrey was unable to bring the cross-stitch into the S & B  as she was a wee bit short of time and had already handed the gift over.

I'm Back!

Yep, it has been a few months since I have been along to the group. Huge thank you to the lovely Helen who has been keeping the blog updated since Christmas. You have me for the next few weeks for definite. Helen was experiencing technical difficulty so it was a good thing I was back. It meant that I could go round and see what everyone had been up to over the last few months. I am mightily impressed by what everyone has been doing. There is a rainbow blanket by a certain Caroline that I have my eye on. I am hoping I will be there when it is finished.

I don't know if many of you know but Isabel is an OT and now and then she comes across something new to try in her job. Last week she found herself making sugared flowers with icing. This poor rose has wilted a little in the car but it still looks good to me.

Both Margaret and Isabel have been knitting hats for the Seafarers charity. I will need to get a tally from Margaret of how many we have so far. Just a reminder that you have until the 24th of June to hand in hats. There will then be a prize draw.

Margaret has also been knitting for a friend in work. She says this baby outfit is the last and then she will move on to something for herself. About time too.

Although I have been away I have still managed to get a few things knitted up. These socks are my latest finish. Knitted up for my sister I am sure that she will not be missed with them on.

Do you remember the mood blankets that a few of us were doing?  Fran was also taking part but had made hers a little larger than the rest. Not that it mattered. At the end of the day as long as you liked what you created was the main thing. It meant that Fran has been working on hers a little longer than the rest of us and who would not love this? I did have it wrapped round me at one point and I can testify to its being soft and cosy. I love the colours too.

Our Esther is at it again. Trying to hide away some her finishes. These gorgeous booties were knitted for another members grandson. So on handing them over they were brought straight to me to be photographed. These should be acknowledged Esther!

 Linda has been busy doing some baby knitting. This pattern is the same as a blue one that Norma knitted a few months ago. The yarn is amazingly soft. I also like the subtle hints of pink throughout.

It would seem our Sally is another one for hiding away her finishes. Thankfully daughter in law Audrey ensured these were shown. The baby set is gorgeous. I like the hint of colour round the bands and pompoms. It really sets a finish off. I also love this little crochet wallet. It would be fab for a project or even a kindly or iPad. I have it in good authority that Sally is a fabulous crocheter but tends to leave them unfinished. So we have now to nag at her to get her projects sewn up.

#Since I have been away our Norma has got her crafting mojo back. Good thing too since she has her own we house of crafts. I didn't pick up the name of this yarn. I can tell you that it is very much like peacock feathers. Norma isn't a fan because it's a little scratchy when worn. However, it might soften with some conditioner.

She has also been working on some blankets. mint and grey blanket is just gorgeous. I do like grey blankets with a hint of colour. However the first blanket is just breathtaking. Some baby is going to love the bright colours in it. I personally love the touch of pompoms round the edging.

Lastly Norma used some of the yarn to make this cute little hat. It's going to the Yarnigans preemie charity.

Yvonne is still addicted to the pompom baby blankets. Can't say I blame her as they are very effective. The little bow at the bottom is tied on rather than stitched. This way it can be changed or removed. It means that this little blanket could be reused when it's owner becomes too old for it. Love that idea.

 Between starting her new business Fiona has still managed to find the time to get some crochet done. First of all she crocheted this cute hat. Then she crocheted up this ripple sampler. Fiona is more sensible than most and decided to do a little sample so that she could work out colours and size. Is it just me or would this sampler make a lovely scarf?

Our Janice has been equally busy. You may not know but she is one of the volunteers for the Commonwealth Games (trying hard not to be jealous). In the spirit of that she has knitted up the Commonwealth Games Mascot - Clyde. She has even knitted some airforce cadets.

When not knitting mascots she has been working on some baby clothes. I love the cables in those cardigans. Believe it or not the booties in the first pic came from the same ball of yarn. I think they look fab.

Last but not least we have another wallflower (not our Isabel who is posing). Jean brought along some of the bead work she has just finished. The amount of time and effort that must have went into each of those items. Well worth it though as they are fabulous and I do believe that our Isabel is smitten with them.

CATastrophe!

 This fabulous feline was crafted by Margaret and named Lucy. The colours compliment Margaret's new sofas beautifully. However, the cat may be adopted by one of Margaret's daughters and follow her home!

I had some spare supplies in my stash and used them to make some book marks for the care home that Morag supports. Later in the year she intends having a vintage stall selling bric-a-brac and a handmade stall selling little crafted items to raise funds for the home.

As you know June enjoys doing granny squares. This week she completed a lovely blanket which she intends to donate to the Spring Fayre at her church.

Robertawas delighted to show off this collection of baby bootees.Spring is in the air and lucky Roberta has five babies to knit for.

This gorgeous baby jumper is another garment that Roberta has knitted for her niece who is about to become a grandmother.

Aileen has really taken to sewing! This stylish dress was created from a bought vest top and the skirt section was made from the bottom part of a large t-shirt that she cut to size. Aileen then used her trusty sewing machine to create an original summer dress. What a great idea! Now all Aileen needs is some sunshine!

Still anticipating a hot summer this year, Aileen made a little summer skirt to show off her tan. Great ideas!

How cute is this? Fiona gave Swati a little crochet kit called Sweet Melody Kitten to try as Swati is developing her crochet skills. It looks fab!

Roberta and Linda are great supporters of our group charity knit for Seafarers. I am sure these cosy hats will be greatly appreciated by the sailors who receive them.

You may not recognize this colourful yarn but, in fact, it is the same Tussah silk yarn that Anthea spun a few weeks ago. Since then, Anthea has had fun experimenting with hand-dyeing colours to enhance her fabulous yarn. The colours are truly beautiful and I can't wait to see what Anthea transforms this yarn into. Watch this space!

Elaine always has something on the go. This week she completed a great hat and scarf combo for the Shoe Box Appeal.