A Very Relaxing Christmas

I can't believe how organised I am this year.  This is what comes of doing the Christmas planning early - I'm so on top of everything I've amazed myself.

I've finished all my Christmas makes - obviously they're all secret surprises - I love doing surprises - so I've nothing to show you at the moment.  The difficult thing now is stop myself from "just making one more thing".  There are lots of lovely cute Christmas knitting and crochet patterns out there but I've drawn the line and now I'm going to put my feet up and do some relaxing non-Christmas projects.

The first one I'm now working on is the cardigan I started on my travels down to Cambridge last month.  The plain sleeves are completed.

So the fun part begins - selecting the colours for the Fair Isle body section.  I start off with any colour that looks like it might fit in.

I take a black and white photo so that I can gauge the tones.

Then I reduce the colours to a manageable amount.

I want to keep  a reasonable amount of the main shade in the design so I'm working bands of patterns.  Here's what I've done so far.

I'm enjoying it immensely, especially knowing that I don't have to feel guilty about other projects.  This Christmas is going to be the most relaxed one, ever!

I hope you're all coping well with your Christmas planning.

Paddington

I may have mentioned (several times) that I'm a big fan of the Paddington Bear stories.

I still have all the books from my childhood.

I even have a Latin version of the first book.

And of course I've crocheted a Paddington.

So I just had to see the new film that's out.

It's a delightful, funny, heartwarming story.

I smiled and laughed my way through the film, with the occasional tear in the eyes.

It was not the Paddington of my childhood.  This was a revised, renewed and updated version.  It was still enjoyable but just not MY Paddington.

Sally Hawkins as Mrs Brown was lovely.  I was particularly drawn to her very colourful knitwear and charmingly quirky house.

I'd recommend the film, (and not just for the knitwear)  it's great fun, you just need to put aside the original (and best) Paddington, and go with the flow!

Fairy Toadstool Houses - pattern

I've been busy making another toadstool - but this is allowed because it's not a distraction, it's to help me write out the pattern.

So I now have four little toadstools and a new pattern to share with you.

The PDF can be downloaded here, or you can go to the Ravelry pattern page for more information, here.

I hope you enjoy the pattern.  Happy crocheting.

Toadstools

Why am I making toadstools?  I have no idea - it's just something I suddenly felt like making.

A sudden urge swept over me and there I was with my first toadstool.

But you can't have just one toadstool, so I made another two - three toadstools is about the right amount.  I shouldn't make any more for the time being - they are very definitely a distraction.

But they look so cute.

I think I'll attach some thread and hang them from the Christmas tree - then I can justify the distraction!

Freesias

My lovely next-door neighbour gave me some freesias.

So generous, so thoughtful.

They make me smile and I feel so grateful to have such a good friend.

Christmas Dove

My Christmas makes are progressing well.  I'm working my way through the list of things I want to make.  Unfortunately, I keep adding to the list.  Not a day goes by without me seeing something inspiring on Pinterest or Ravelry, and so my list grows ever longer.

Most of my makes are totally hush hush - not to be revealed until Christmas Day, but I thought I would share this crocheted project with you.

Isn't it just so cute?

I thought it would make a lovely Christmas decoration.  The pattern is called Amigurumi Doves and it's by Karla Fitch.  It's not a free pattern but very reasonably priced and very well explained.  You can see details of the pattern on Ravelry, here.

It would be fun to make the bird in interesting colours - I'll add that to my after-Christmas-making-list.  Meanwhile it's back to the Christmas-making-list.  I do love lists - but I've a feeling mine are getting out of hand!

Putting Christmas to One Side (for the weekend only!)

Confession time - yes I've started knitting a new cardigan, even though I have a mound of Christmas knitting and crocheting to be getting on with.

Look at the gorgeous colour - "heather" - it's so beautiful (the third and fourth photos are a more accurate representation of the colour).

The wool is Shetland 4 ply.  Grace bought me 2 skeins from one of the craft fairs she attended recently.

I don't have enough of the wool to knit a plain cardigan so I'm going to knit plain sleeves and see how much wool I have left and then work a Fair Isle pattern for the body piece.

I've missed Fair Isle knitting and I'm so looking forward to having a play with colours again.

Now, I do have a reason for why I started knitting this cardigan and I shouldn't feel guilty.  We went down to Cambridge at the weekend to see Eve.  Obviously I couldn't take my Christmas knitting with me and, for car journeys, plain knitting is always easiest, so casting on with the new wool gave me something to do on the long drive down.  Now that we're back home, I'm afraid this project will be put away until such time as the Christmas stuff is all done (the night before Christmas probably!)

Anyway, we had a wonderful time in Cambridge.  On Friday when we first arrived we stopped off at the American Cemetery.  This is the only American World War II cemetery in Britain.  It holds the remains of 3812 soldiers, airmen and sailors including 32 civilians.  A further 5127 individuals are remembered on Wall of the Missing.

It was a very peaceful and thought provoking place with an excellent and informative visitors centre.

On Saturday we walked across the meadows to the village of Grantchester.

Excuse me!  I think you're blocking the path.

Virginia Woolf and her friends used to come to Grantchester for afternoon tea, sitting in the deck chairs in the garden at The Orchard.

It was a bit cold for us to sit outside so we made ourselves comfortable in the pavilion and had our own afternoon tea.

We found a lovely old pub in Cambridge with a great atmosphere for a relaxing drink in the evening.

It was wonderful to see Eve again.  The weekend went so quickly but we will be seeing her again soon when she comes home for the Christmas break.

This thought sets me panicking!  I'd better get on with the Christmas knitting, crocheting and over-ambitious making before she gets back.

I hope you had a lovely weekend and that Christmas isn't creeping up on you too quickly.

Imagining

Relaxing Autumn days.

A walk along the promenade watching the waves crashing in at high tide.

Watching the Isle of Man ferry about to enter the port of Liverpool and imagining a boat trip to somewhere warm and exotic.

Where shall we go?