Christmas Makes And Handmade Advent Calendar Week 4

It has been a busy year with lots of handmade items lovingly made for Christmas. Having only started knitting this year Miss C made five pairs of knitted socks. She then decided that she would like to knit a couple of jumpers as well. We decided on some patterns that involved cables. Having only ever knitted socks she took it all in her stride and produced two absolutely gorgeous jumpers that will be treasured by the recipients for years to come.

 

My makes were a little more modest! I crocheted some dishcloths for my mother who has been wanting some for awhile. Using the Easy Crochet Dishcloth Pattern by Daisy Cottage Designs. I am really pleased with them and may have also made a few for myself. (I do love a dishcloth after all!)

 

For Miss C I made a tailors ham in a matching fabric to her thread catcher, using a pattern by Jennifer Lauren Handmade, to make pressing easier in her dressmaking projects. It is amazing how much sawdust one little pressing ham takes! Miss C absolutely loves it.

Day 22: Stitch Markers:

We got these for free with the Hobbii rewards points and thought they would be perfect and cute to use on project bags. We could use them for a particular project and would know what was in the bag. 

 

Day 23: Chocolate:

Who doesn't love chocolate!

Day 24: Something Crochet:

I made Miss C a lovely pair of Elements crochet gloves by Nancy Said. It was an easy to follow pattern and I really enjoyed making them. Miss C made me a stunning pair of crocheted Seashell earrings using a pattern by Golden Lucy crafts.

Day 25: Yarn:

For our final advent for 2022 we gave each other sock yarn. Miss C gave me a gorgeous skein of Heritage Wave in pink and blue tones. I absolutely love it. I gave Miss C a ball of Bendigo Woollen Mills sock yarn in the Pot Pourri colourway. 

 Until next time,

Samantha & Miss C Xx 

 

Handmade Advent Calendar Week 3

Day 15: Cosy

It is funny how we had the same ideas for some of the projects, but we put them in different categories. I made Miss C a Hook cozy (she made me one for the something crocheted) and she made me a mug cozy. I am really excited about that as I have wanted one and never got around to making it.

Day 16: Hook

We both brought ergonomic crochet hooks in sizes we needed.

Day 17: Basket 

We both took a very different approach to this category. I decided to make a crochet basket using the Project Arm Bag/ Basket tutorial by Jayda in stitches, which I have made before. I thought it would be handy for projects on the go. Miss C opted for the Fabric Basket Pattern  by Treasurie in a very cute yarn ball fabric, to store yarn in.

 

Day 18: Gift Bag

I made a cute little crocheted pouch using the  Splendid Spring Shell Stitch Sack pattern by Jayda In Stitches and Miss C made a drawstring gift bag.

 Day 19: Progress Keeper

We both made each other heart shaped progress keepers. 

Day 20: Yarn

I purchased a couple of balls of wool for Miss C to make some gloves and Miss C gave me some cotton yarn.

Day 21: Project Bag

I made Miss C a drawstring project bag using the yarn ball fabric and Miss C made a grocery style bag using a pattern from the book Sewing To Sell by Virginia Lindsay. We have made these bags before and they are a great all purpose bag.

 

Until next time,

Samantha & Miss C Xx 

 

Handmade Advent Calendar Week 2

It has been another exciting week of Advent gifts. It is so much fun opening a gift each morning,  Miss C is really enjoying it.

Day 8: Something Crocheted

I crocheted Miss C the Moonflower Cowl using a free pattern by Fiber Flux. Miss C made me an extremely useful hook cozy using a pattern from the Cute and easy Crocheted Cozies book by Nicki Trench. It will be so wonderful to have the hooks in a case and not have to fish around in the bottom of my project bags to find my hook!

Day 9: Wildcard (Anything at all)

Miss C had been looking  at magnetic row counters which make it easier to keep track of the row you are working on when knitting or crocheting. I made her a magnetic row reader using a tutorial from The Cheapskates Club. Miss C got me a super cute unicorn case to hold stitch markers.

 

Day 10: Sewing 

As much as I love Miss C, her sewing area is always littered with threads. For the sewing category I  decided to make a thread catcher. After looking at many different patterns, I finally settled on the Pin Cushion Thread Catcher by Lorrie Nunemaker. I am so pleased with how it turned out and Miss C absolutely loved it! Miss C gave me a magnetic seam guide.

Day 11: Paper craft

I gave Miss C a Papercraft book with lovely boxes that you can make and Miss C made me some beautiful handmade cards.

 

Day 12: Dishcloth/Washcloth

I have a bit of a dishcloth obsession. I absolutely love them! As Miss C doesn't share my love affair with dishcloths, I made her a super cute flower washcloth from the Romantic Crochet book by Emma Escott. I love the way it turned out. Miss C made a herringbone dishcloth from The Homespun Crochet magazine.

Day 13: Crochet Bag

The crochet bag category gave us both a few headaches, and is one that we will not be doing again next year! I tried a couple of bags, before settling on the  Love Me Tender Market Tote by Dorianna Rivelli. Whilst it does look cute, I am not entirely happy with the finished product. I struggled a little bit at the end of each row and seem to have lost a few stitches along the way. I didn't have time to do another one, so just had to let go of it being perfect.  Miss C does love it, so all the stress was worth it. Miss C made a Crochet Bag using a pattern from Attic 24. I do love a scrappy project and it is very large which will be extremely useful.

Day 14: Notion 

Miss C made me some adorable pattern weights in gorgeous colours. Simply made by covering metal washers with ribbon they will be very useful.I gave Miss C a retractable tape measure. To make it a bit more exciting, I crocheted a cozy to go over it with a cute button.

 

 

 

Until next time,

Samantha & Miss C

Handmade Advent Calendar Week 1

This year Miss C and I decided to make each other an Advent Calendar with mostly handmade items. We selected categories and set about making. Each week in the lead up to Christmas we will share the items that we have exchanged. 🎄

Day 1: Project bag

Using the usual pattern by Hue Loco that I use for zippered bags, I decided to make the top half out of corduroy so that Miss C could use it to put her enamel pins on.

Miss C made a gorgeous Tote bag with zipper, using a pattern by Whitney Sews. It is so cute and she has done an amazing job.

 

Day 2: Notion

We both had the same idea and made pincushions, one of the most used items in our sewing kits. I used a Youtube tutorial from Treasurie to make a pincushion, the same as one I had made for Miss C before. This time I added a piece of fold over elastic so she could put it on her wrist.

Miss C crocheted one using the Ruffle Hearts pattern by Lulu Loves which is a free pattern. 

 

Day 3: Crochet Pattern

For our crochet pattern, we decided to choose a pattern by our favourite pattern designer, Nancy Said. For Miss C, I chose the Dimebar Cheesecake Cowl, and for me, Miss C chose the Star Stitch Fingerless Gloves. I do love gloves!

Day 4: Hair Accessory

I sewed a bunny ear scrunchie for Miss C and she crocheted a lacy headscarf using a free pattern from Lulu Loves for me. Funny how we both used similar colours.

 

Day 5: Buttons

Buttons are something we both love! Miss C gave me some large navy ones, as well as wooden "handmade with love" ones. I gave her some grey speckled buttons, which she will be putting to use on a cardigan coming up in the new year.

Day 6: Pin

We both love alpacas, so these 2 pins are perfect!

Day 7: Stitch Markers

Stitch markers are a great fun thing to make and so easy. You can never have enough of them! I made a set of three which included two hook size markers which are so handy when you are working on multiple projects and moving hooks around! Miss C made a purple themed set of 5.

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C Xx

 

Does procastination and lack of organization affect your creativity?

It has been so long since our last blog! I had good intentions, but with one thing and another before I knew it almost five months had passed. One of the hardest parts I find is taking photos. The weather has been abnormally wet and many dull days make getting the light right for photos hard. 

My entire life I have struggled with my lack of organizational skills, and it often feels like one big chaotic mess. Oh to be one of those born organized people. I have found the older I become the more difficult it seems to be. My menopausal brain is most definitely not helping! I am constantly misplacing items, forgetting things and lose my train of thought midway through a sentence.It is oh so frustrating and somewhat embarrassing.

Image by pikisuperstar on FreePik
 

Without question my creativity is being zapped by my lack of organization. A window of opportunity arises in which you think it would be perfect to do some crochet or sewing. By the time you have found the pattern, searched high and low for the tools you need and cleared off your workspace, you become so frustrated that you just don't feel like it anymore, or you no longer have the time, as you are needed elsewhere.  Where do I start? How will I store things? What needs to be stored? Will Miss C help me???!!! This leads to more procrastination and then you ask yourself,do I want to be doing this or would I rather be creating? Well obviously I would rather be creating, however it is not a calming relaxing experience when you can't find things.

 

 

Miss C and I were inspired by all the lovely Advent calendars that people had last year and decided to make our own handmade advent calendars. Whilst my intentions were good, the year has rolled by and on my end I still have quite a lot to do. A lot of procrastination ensued on what to make. I was becoming extremely overwhelmed on Friday afternoon and after completing a couple of the smaller projects, I decided that I would begin packaging them and whilst on a roll, I packaged all that I had completed so far. To my surprise I had actually fully completed 14 of them. By focusing on what I had accomplished, instead of the long to do list that I still have left, made me feel so much better and more inspired to push on. With only 36 days until Advent begins will I get them finished?

Will I ever be an organized person that has everything in its place? Somehow I don't think so, however I would really like to try and tame some of the clutter in my life and allow my creativity to shine.

Until next time,

Samantha

Lots Of Crafty Things To Share

We have had a very productive couple of weeks with the completion of lots of sewing and crocheting. My shawl is finished, another Sassy Cowl and some Winter Wishes Scarves. We have made project bags, little zippered pouches, and crochet hook holders. 

Finished Objects: Crochet

My Florentina Triangle Lace Crochet Shawl by Annie Design Crochet is completed. I am absolutely thrilled with the finished shawl, which has ended up nice and large to wrap around yourself. The pattern was very enjoyable and easy to follow. I originally put small fringes all around the shawl, on each shell shape like the designer, but I didn't like the way they looked and the fringes seemed to catch on each other. After removing them, I made three tassels from embroidery thread using a tutorial by Sew Can She. I think the end result is stunning and would definitely make another.

I have completed another two of my all-time favourite scarf pattern the Winter Wishes Scarf, using Red Heart Aran Charcoal Print. I love the way the variegated yarn has worked up. Using the same yarn I made another Sassy Triangle Cowl by Avery Lane Creations. I like the effect of the variegated yarn which gives a totally different look from the plain ones I made here. 

My mum has also been busy and finished her first crochet shawl, the Half Circle Crochet Shawl by Annie Design Crochet, which she really enjoyed making. She added a toggle button to the front so it would sit over her shoulders. The Abbey Road yarn colours she used are now discontinued. 

Crochet Hook Holders

We were looking at patterns to make a holder to store our crochet hooks. A while ago I  made some travel toothbrush holders from washcloths, and I had a few that were leftover sitting in a box. As we are trying hard to re-purpose things this year, these were just perfect to transform. They already had pockets, some were wide and others were narrow perfect for crochet hooks. I divided the wider pockets and sewed a couple of rows of stitching to make them smaller to accommodate our crochet hooks. For a finishing touch, and to secure them when rolled up, we removed the ribbon that was already on, and used some pretty elastic headbands that I had made ages ago. They look absolutely gorgeous, will keep all our hooks in one place, and are transportable to take on the go. This was a very quick and easy project that took less than half an hour.

Zippered Pouches

Miss C wanted to make some zippered pouches to store notions. She found some zippers and a Youtube tutorial and set out to make them. She had never put a zip in before and really enjoyed it. Once conquering these she quickly moved on to project bags.

Project Bags

Miss C has been busy making zippered project bags, using the  Holiday Bag pattern by Hue Loco. It is a free downloadable pattern and has a beginner-friendly, Youtube tutorial as well. I made my very first project bag using this pattern. It makes a good size bag, with a boxed bottom, perfect for smaller projects like socks. These are the first zippered project bags that Miss C has made and she did an amazing job. The lovely fabrics were kindly gifted to us by a friend. Miss C is entering them in the #dodgybagmal22, being run by Ali of @starryeyesali and Claudia of @crochetluna on Instagram.

Until next time,

Samantha & Miss C xx

Mannequin Madness!

Since starting the blog, taking photos has always been a challenge. Trying to make the garments look good when laying flat, or trying to model them, has not been very successful. We have been dreaming of getting a mannequin to make photographing easier for a while. Lincraft had a sale, and we now have a gorgeous mannequin to display our handmade creations. My son noticed on the tag that the mannequin actually had a name, and was amazed to find it was called Samantha. I think it was meant to be!  We have already put her to good use with our latest creations. Now we have a mannequin, the next thing is the lighting. It is raining and dark, so difficult to get good photos.  

Finished Objects:

We have just completed two Sassy Triangle Cowls by Avery Lane Creations. We really enjoyed working on this design and the stitch pattern looks really pretty. Miss C had always avoided patterns that required you to crochet into the third loop, as she thought it was quite difficult. The instructions were very well written and easy to understand. Miss C found out that third loop crochet was actually quite easy!  I always have trouble getting my cowl to sit properly and look good. I really like the Sassy Cowl, as it is worked so that you join it together at the back, resulting in a cowl that sits nicely, without falling off. Miss C used Bendigo Woolen Mills Luxury 10 ply in Coastal Blue and I used 4 Seasons Marvel 12 ply from Spotlight, in Wild Orchid.

Miss C has finished her 2nd Gorse Sweater, by Eleven Handmade. She loves this pattern, as its simplicity really makes the gorgeous yarn shine. (Hobbii Tweed Delight in the "Wisteria Bloom")  The colour is absolutely gorgeous. She made the XS size again, with a 6mm hook. As the cooler weather approaches, she can't wait to wear it.

What's On Our Hooks:

Miss C:

Inspired by my shawl, Miss C is also making a Florentina Lace Shawl, using a cake from her stash, Oh My Yarns Southern Scapes in the "Fairy Bread" colourway. (this colour is now discontinued) She is loving the pattern and can't wait to finish it. It is such a pretty colour combination and has shorter colour changes than mine.

Having successfully mastered sock knitting, Miss C has now begun work on The Road To The Mountains Of Pyre cowl, a free pattern, by Miss Wrap 'n' Turn. Using Cascade Yarn Heritage Prints - Sand. She is really enjoying knitting the lace section.

Her Up North Cardigan in Bendigo Woollen Mills, Bloom 8 ply Sugar Plum is simply divine. The yarn is such a sumptuously rich colour, and the ribbed texture created by using half trebles makes the cardigan a lovely timeless piece. She is making a small size. 

Miss C has begun making a pair of knitted socks for her dad.  This time she is making her first pair of toe-up socks. A lot of people use the Sockmatician's toe-ups sock recipe, so I suggested to Miss C that it could be a good pattern to purchase. She is thrilled with this fantastically unique pattern, which is created as a recipe, that allows you to use any weight yarn and fit any size foot. The main colour is - Fiddlesticks sock yarn in black,/grey, and the contrasting toe, heel and cuffs in Mayflower 1 class sock yarn in Light Gray. She is knitting 76 stitches, 8.5 stitches per inch, on 2.25mm/ 80cm needles - working magic loop.

Samantha:

Quite a lot of progress has been made on my Florentina Lace Shawl by Annie Design Crochet. I am loving the pattern and can't wait to finish. As the shawl is now quite large, the rows are getting longer the stitch count continues to grow and so my progress is slowing.

Until next time,

Samantha & Miss C xx