Crafted Christmas..

Well it's been and gone.. two lovely, peaceful weeks spent with my family :) They are all back at work or school as of today.

Now that all gifts have been given I thought I'd show you some of the bits n pieces I made.. then realised that I forgot to take photos of 2 fairly big 'made' gifts!  

Floppy Crochet Top Hat and baby elephant for my cousins little girl (who is nearly 3)
She is adorable anyway, but I think the hat will look really cute on her :)

I think that everyone should have at least one female relative who always gifts you handmade and slightly odd, things.. and I've decided that I'm going to be that rellie for my cousins little girl, Belle :) 

I crocheted the elephant using THIS free crochet pattern by Dedri Uys.  It is pretty small, and to be honest I found it a bit fiddly making the legs, especially the first few rounds of each one...  BUT it was well worth it, the ears and legs get crocheted in as you go so there's no sewing bits on afterwards. The eyes are black shank buttons sewn on really well.  It's just the right size to fit comfortably in tiny hands.

The hat was freeform.. a smaller version of the hat I made for my mother-in-law - which I totally forgot to photograph!  And I crocheted matching wrist warmers for her.. now while I don't have a photo of them either, I'm planning to make myself some and will post pics of those if/when I do :)  I should of taken photos of the moon scarf I felted for a friend too but hey-ho.

And being as I spent the Autumn term taking a pottery class for one evening a week there just HAD to be some ceramic going around..  though I didn't actually get that much finished and glazed successfully in time.  

Moon men and hearts.. found there way to a few special people :)

I'd set myself a mission to make Gary a new mug for Christmas.. not just any mug, I wanted to copy the size and shape of his old favorite (and very battered) mug..  

I love how the glaze turned out.. this was a bit of an experiment really.
We had a very old bucket of glaze that we weren't entirely certain what colour it would produce.. I was so happy when this came out of the kiln :)

It is rather a stumpy mug.. I just couldn't get the height I wanted, it felt like my hands were too small to pull the sides up high enough.  But I like it :) And luckily so does Gary.. even if it does look like a little teacup in his big hands - I laughed till the tears ran down my cheeks when he opened it.  But he HAS used it for filtered coffee.

I glazed these buttons and bead in the same stuff

Over the Christmas weeks I have a break from felting.. usually working on a crochet project.  This year I decided to have a go at knitting.  My Nan taught me to knit when I was tiny, and though I can kit in a very simple way :)  I tend not too.. I'm really slow at it and get impatient.  But I fell in love with THIS hat pattern.. the Brielle Slouchy by Heidi May and decided to give it a go

It's certainly not slouchy on my head :)
but I really do like my new beany..  it's warm and comfy.
I sewed a beech branch button on too

I actually enjoyed knitting that much that I carried on..  I have some lovely chunky homespun, from three quarters of a Jacobs fleece which I cleaned and carded (on paddles.. this was before I got a drum carder) and spun.  I finally decided I wanted to make a waistcoat out of it.. but after knitting a sample I realised I just don't have enough.. and the rest of the fleece has become too compacted for spinning.  But I have come up with a cunning plan :)  combining knitted panels with felt.. more will follow as it progresses (hope it works out!)

This is where I've gotten too :)  long way to go yet

Leaving you today with a snapshot of the Allen family Christmas 2014..

Matt in the Christmas hat he has worn every Christmas since he was 18 months old (yes it was very big to begin with - and he looked so cute in it :)

Rachael always starts off in her PJs.. adding clothing gifts as she opens them - hence the poncho and bowler hat over a onesie :)

The boys became superheroes with their Christmas cracker hats..

And we enjoyed lots of early morning walks over crunchy, frosty fields.. Which I loved even more cos I got lovely new wellies for Christmas from my girl :)!

Hope you all had an enjoyable time too

... on with 2015

 xx