Month: December 2018
Making Handmade Christmas Decorations
I said I would update my blog with a photo of last week’s wiggly pompoms. I made a few and made them into a garland – you can kind of get the idea from the photo above (it’s about twice as long as what you see) – and it’s so difficult to take a decent one with a window as a background, best I could do. (The lovely wicker star was a Christmas purchase a few years ago, I would have loved to have made a claim to have made that if I could!)
I’ve also been having a play with Christmas Origami papers. Initially a good friend gave a mini demo to our weekly craft group on how to make an origami star. This inspired me to make a whole bunch of stars and here are three hanging amongst a few of my cooking and craft books.
I’d love to see anyone else’s little handmade Christmas decorations!
A wiggly pompom, making a Christmas garland
Just a little snippet of my woollen week – I am making a Christmas snowball garland. I can’t resist sharing a recent wool hiccup – I had no idea if you tried to make pompoms from yarn previously knitted you ended up with balls that look rather like this! Did anyone else? 
Will post a pic of the finished garland later!
A Horse on A Course (aka Still Water by sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green), a little bit of culture
Looking through some electronically stored photos from earlier this year I was thinking how pleasant it was previously to have more physical photos to hand. I have been quite prudent in recent years as we live in a world where we take photos everyday with our smartphones, tablets, etc. If we printed and displayed them all we would be buried shoulder deep in pictures and the planet would be suffering. I am the first to admit I am not a perfect photographer by a long shot. I envy those who take great photos but continue in my own haphazard ways.
Take this beautiful sculpture admired at a racecourse in Deauville, Normandy, France this August. I took a couple of snaps (one of which in fact only showed half the artist’s details).
I do not do it justice but thanks to the internet I have now admired more of Nic Fiddian-Green’s work from afar. I hope by showing my poor photos here someone else may enjoy it too.
I have also been digging out old wedding photos and family snaps. It is truly precious to have at least many of those to reminisce over, to see family resemblances and to talk about those we love who aren’t with us anymore. I shall endeavour to print out a few more photos as the years proceed. I would hate them all to be lost on electronic systems that become out of date and inaccessible. Happy snapping to all!
One week’s craftiness, stamp, fold, knit
Whilst sitting for the last two days, full of a cold, plied with warm drinks and watching a plethora of catch up tv I have been thinking how lucky I am to craft so often and meet with lovely like minded friends, new and old, whilst doing so.
Last week I helped a friend run a Christmas card making class. We used a dye cutting machine, stamping, glitter dots, ribbons and other embellishments. I managed to snap just a couple of photos before the ladies headed home. Most of them loved the cards so much they said they’d find it hard to give them away!
Then Monday night this week I met with other crafty friends for our final pre Christmas get-together to do a joint project. This time was an introduction to origami, making these super stars. There was a bit of wonky folding along the way but we had a good selection of finished ones by the time we were full of wine/cake/the evening was over!
I had my sewing machine out at the weekend but can’t show off what I made yet. I will reveal all on a later blog post.
Finally, some knitting, quite a bit of knitting since Sunday. I knit at home in the quiet, when listening to music, when watching tv, in the car, whenever I can really. I knit a lot for myself and for charity and I love gifting to friends if I think they’ll appreciate it though sometimes you are never sure if people really appreciate hand made presents.
However, a few weeks ago a good friend (of nearly 40 years, we met when we used to pull each others pigtails!) and I were out walking and I noticed she was wearing a hat I made for her several years ago. She loves the hat but it’s losing it’s oomph and she gently hinted it might be time for a replacement. I’ve made the one she wore several times and was determined not to go down the same route. I chose a new pattern, dived into my stash and .. a lovely new hat is done. I enjoyed making it so much I made myself one too! I shall just have to make sure we don’t wear them at the same time .
I also attacked a few more rows with my chunky grey shrug and started a prem baby cardigan as I heard a family member’s latest arrival may be making an appearance sooner rather than later. Now back to the sofa and onto the next Box Set and if my fuggy head lets me a little more knitting too.
handmadehomemadeknitstitchdesign 