January Challenge

It's reveal day for the Monthly Ornament Challenge on Needlecraft Haven. This month our design was a lovely robin sampler from Aliolka (chart here), and here is my version:-

I changed it up slightly to add my initials, and work a few of the small motifs in different stitches. Stitched using Anchor threads on 32 count Belfast linen in colour "Faded Olive" from Crafty Kitten and finished as a pillow with a scrap of lace, some saddle stitch ribbon and a handful of buttons.
You can see the other finishes in the album here, It's amazing how different they all look.

A Rose in Winter

Not, admittedly, the most spectacular rose I've ever seen, but flowering. In my garden. In January.

The frogs are spawning too, spring must be coming.

First Gifted Gorgeousness of 2016

It's the start of a whole new year of Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness SAL, where once a month share our crafted gifts, gifted crafts, or anything else vaguely gift related, and despite the frankly shameful state of my last couple of posts from last year I'm going to join in again this year.
January's offering is this

A little stitched pillow featuring LHN's Potted Poinsettias, the chart for which was a gift from Sally.
It is stitched with Crescent Colours - Sassy Brass and Ruby Slippers, and Gentle Art - Avocado.
As Sally was gifted the chart herself before she very kindly passed it on to me I thought I'd continue in the spirit of giving and pass the chart on to someone else. Perhaps it could become a new travelling pattern - "The Perambulating Poinsettia"- what do you think?
If you'd like to be the next to stitch it just pop a note in the comments and I'll draw a name at the end of the month.

Apparently It's Snuggly

Naomi just sent me this picture of her vintage vertical stripe crochet blanket in use.

I think she likes it :)

2015 Round Up and the First Finish of 2016

The final tally for 2015 stands at 46 books read, 57 finishes and 9 pairs of shoes bought. A bit down on previous years but the books included quite a few mammoth 1000 page plus ones so I don't feel too bad at falling below one a week.
The nearest guess was Kerry with a total of 146, so if you send me your address Kerry, I'll pop some sort of small prize in the post. I've reset the counter so you are welcome to make a guess on this year's totals by commenting on this post.
I can show some of the things I'd made for Christmas gifts now. The big tada moment is for the vintage vertical stripe CAL blanket I made for Naomi.

This took ages! Come to think of it, it's probably why the finish count was down too. Eagle eyed readers will spot a colour shift at one side. I ran out of the original wools before it was wide enough, so I went back to the on-line shop I'd bought them from and just repeated the same shopping cart from my history. Now I know that different dye lots can have an effect, but to go from the hot pink on one side of the blanket to the magenta on the other seems excessive. Good job I was going for a loud multi coloured effect.
For my December Gifted Gorgeousness post I shamelessly posted a picture of a ball of wool, and said it was going to be a Christmas gift. Well, it made it. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture (well I was a bit short of time to get it wrapped up and delivered), but I did actually make three of them in the end the brown one from the wool I showed and a duck egg blue one as gifts for friends, and this one for myself.

The pattern is by Kalurah Hudson and you can find it on Ravelry here
Also on Ravelry was this pattern which I used to make these cunning hairclips for the girls

Girl walks down the road in that hairclip, people know she's not afraid of anything

And Ravelry again (anyone detecting a theme here?) for the pattern for this knitted choker.

And finally the first finish of 2016. Possibly the weirdest thing I've ever knitted.

Eloise asked me to knit her a beard as a birthday gift for a friend. (Don't ask, I didn't). The pattern for this came from Mollie Makes, and the inset picture shows Eloise modelling it because the picture of it just lying there is more roadkill than facial hair