Everyone loves hot chocolate, right? Right.
Especially at winter, brr.
And in Autumn.
And in Spring.
And, well, let's be honest, just about any time of year.
And what could be better than an enormous jar of your favourite hot chocolate, topped with chocolate chips and eeny weeny mini marshmallows?
I made these as stocking fillers for the children in our family for Christmas Day. Glass jars are best because they show off the layers and make this really mouth-watering. Yum.
I filled each jar about half way with hot chocolate (I bought an enormous tub from the shops, but you could make your own using a recipe like this one if you're feeling energetic). I then mixed milk and white chocolate chips and layered on a cup of each, and finally topped the entire mix with as many mini marshmallows as could fit into the jar.
Tie with appropriately-themed gingham and et voila.
All you need to do now is mix it all up, and add 3 - 4 tablespoons of the mix into a cup of warm milk and stir.
Fastest, easiest and most delicious festive make ever.
I'm really pleased with how these little gift ornaments turned out. I have a huge stash of wooden discs, cut from large branches (!), that can be made into all sorts of wonderful things. You can make them yourself from found branches I'm sure, but I don't have the space for tools (other than my trusty dremel of course!) so I buy them online from this Etsy shop.
In the past, I've made these discs into buttons which are truly amazing showstopper accessories. This time, though, they were destined for a bit of festive glitter.
I used simple letter stickers to mark off the letter I wanted to show off, and then painted over it with the most amazing and magical stuff I've ever come across; Extreme Glitter Paint. Basically, it's colourful mod podge that has been absolutely saturated with ridiculously fine glitter. You paint it on in layers and it gets unreasonably sparkly.
Then add some more.
The stickers didn't do a very good job as the Extreme Glitter paint leaked easily under the edges. I used the remaining outlines as a guideline to carve out the letters using a combination of a fine knife and lino cutter. It was a very quick job, and the results are great. It was very easy to lift the excess paint.
Add a quick hole to the top, thread some silver thread and add a bow. Done! The whole process takes about 20 minutes including drying time, or about five minutes per disc if you do them in a production line and don't have to factor in drying time.
I was determined to make many of our gifts for giving this Christmas. There have been gingerbread men, hot chocolate pots and handmade ornaments. And, just a handful of Christmas Knits. Here's a quick roundup:
Giant Pom Pom Hat for Amelia (Raveled Here)
Amelia, Isla's very best friend from nursery, loves pom poms. Like, loves pom poms. So, she gets a giant pom pom hat. This yarn is an amazing colour; I can't for the life of me find the ball band but I know it is an Elle brand yarn I bought in South Africa.
The pattern is a tried-and-tested favourite of mine (Classic Cuffed Hat from Purl Soho) with a minor adaptation to replace the cuff with ear flaps. I then finished it off with a chunky crochet edging, plaited strings and three giant pom poms.
Hat for Jack (Raveled Here)
Again, back to the Purl Soho from one of their fantastic patterns: this time, it was Super Soft Merino Hats for Everyone. I tried out a new yarn - The Women's Institute Soft and Chunky which is a 30% acrylic 70% merino blend. Should be wonderfully warm and easy to wash.
Flower Girl Purse for Annabelle (Ravelled here)
This was a really quick and fun crochet project, made for Annabelle, Jack's twin. I use the leftover yarn from his hat to make a matching purse that would be perfect for carrying around little sweets, clips, stones or other treasures a two year old might find.
I used this pattern to make the flower and added a leaf and crocheted flower centre to make it stand out a bit. Very cute. Isla was impressed with this one.
Mittens for Isla (Raveled here)
... because I can't really knit up a selection of gifts and neglect little Isla can I?
I used the last little bit of my very favourite yarn to make these mittens using the Another Pair of Mittens pattern. I joined them together with a knitted i-cord because I'm certain that these would soon part ways if they were loose.
She was impressed. After trying on, they got wrapped and put under the tree. Isla loves opening up presents so I've wrapped up a few silly things - not least of all these essential-for-winter mittens that she's already seen. There are fruit sweets, dummies, biscuits...
After all, it's all about the unwrapping, isn't it?
I can hardly believe that it is December. Mid-December. Just five-more-sleeps-until-Christmas-December. Where has the year gone?! It's all very sudden. Work has been very demanding in the last six months, taking over from sensible (read: craft) activities and any kind of artistic expression. Have you noticed that this blog has been much neglected? I have. *embarrassed*.
Still. Here we are. It is the end of the year, Christmas is upon us, and everything is looking festive indeed.
There was even snow.
Snow! In early December!
Still, despite it being Christmas all-of-a-suddenly, we're quite prepared.
This is our second year of having our very own Christmas tree and the decorations are slowly accumulating. The tree is up, Isla has a generously-filled Santa Sack of goodies, and there's a stocking hanging up on the book shelf. It's all very festive.
Still. Here we are. It is the end of the year, Christmas is upon us, and everything is looking festive indeed.
There was even snow.
Snow! In early December!
Still, despite it being Christmas all-of-a-suddenly, we're quite prepared.
This is our second year of having our very own Christmas tree and the decorations are slowly accumulating. The tree is up, Isla has a generously-filled Santa Sack of goodies, and there's a stocking hanging up on the book shelf. It's all very festive.
This year, I've even made a Christmas wreath. Who knew that there were such crafty activities saved for this time of year?! It's all very new and exciting for me. Hand-stitched felt holly, clusters of cinnamon sticks, mini toadstools. Of course. Thank you, Pinterest.
I'm so looking forward to the few days off between Christmas and New Year. I plan to do a lot of hand-carding, spinning and knitting. I'm hoping to head off to see the Christmas lights in Carnaby Street, and Winter Wonderland. And most of all, I'm looking forward to not doing even a drop of work for almost an entire week. Lush.
5 more sleeps :)
Winter arrived. It was quite all-of-a-sudden-ly. Now, cold hands and woolly hats are abundant.
The park froze over. The puddles are miniature ice-rinks. Jumpers and cardigans have been replaced by snowsuits. There was, in fact, even snow. In London. In NOVEMBER!
I haven't been crafting much as it seems that I spend more time making sandwiches for lunches, cleaning up after messy baby and washing bottles than on anything I actually want to do. Ya know, like knit a cardigan, or a pair of socks, or ... anything, really.
I did, however, make an eensy weensy and snuggly warm baby blanket for a friend's baby shower. Just a few evenings after baby has gone to bed and et voila! Instant craft satisfaction.
Take one cheery fleece fabric print (hot air balloons AND rainbows)...
... and blanket stitch all the way around the outside to make a base for a neat crochet edge. This keeps the fleecy bits all neat and tidy for washing later on.
The park froze over. The puddles are miniature ice-rinks. Jumpers and cardigans have been replaced by snowsuits. There was, in fact, even snow. In London. In NOVEMBER!
I haven't been crafting much as it seems that I spend more time making sandwiches for lunches, cleaning up after messy baby and washing bottles than on anything I actually want to do. Ya know, like knit a cardigan, or a pair of socks, or ... anything, really.
I did, however, make an eensy weensy and snuggly warm baby blanket for a friend's baby shower. Just a few evenings after baby has gone to bed and et voila! Instant craft satisfaction.
Take one cheery fleece fabric print (hot air balloons AND rainbows)...
... and blanket stitch all the way around the outside to make a base for a neat crochet edge. This keeps the fleecy bits all neat and tidy for washing later on.
Very snuggly warm for winter baby who should be here in a few short weeks. Brrrr.
It may have been a bit ambitious to make a one-year-old baby a quilt for her birthday, but she was delighted. She unwrapped it, picked it up, and hugged it with her tiny baby arms. She now points at the squares, and tries to find funny shapes. Clever girl.
I started making this quilt months ago (okay, actually maybe a year ago. Or longer.). I cut up some of my favourite fabrics in 2 inch squares, and then added to the stash every time I had a fabric scrap. I then pieced the squares together one-by-one as the stash grew... LONGEST and most drawn-out method of making a postage stamp quilt ever. The sensible thing to do would have been to piece strips of fabric and cut them out from there, but then I couldn't use up my hoarded scraps. Ah well.
I quilted around each square with straight lines, and then quilted a grid around the whole quilt, going round and round in a tight square with lines about 1cm apart. Such neat quilting... so unlike me. Really love the grid effect, it makes the fabric go all crinkly when it folds up, like an old, much-loved quilt. I think it helps that I used two layers of wadding to make it a bit thicker than usual.
I'm so happy with this quilt, I put so much love and work into it; even pulling out seams when squares didn't line up (!) and carefully lining everything up so there were no identical squares side-by-side. I can't believe I finished it (A) in time and (B) at all. #happy.
I started making this quilt months ago (okay, actually maybe a year ago. Or longer.). I cut up some of my favourite fabrics in 2 inch squares, and then added to the stash every time I had a fabric scrap. I then pieced the squares together one-by-one as the stash grew... LONGEST and most drawn-out method of making a postage stamp quilt ever. The sensible thing to do would have been to piece strips of fabric and cut them out from there, but then I couldn't use up my hoarded scraps. Ah well.
Each square has a story to tell. There's the one that looks like dad's favourite shirt, and the one I bought four years ago at the Quilt Festival in Birmingham. There's the one made from my very favourite tiny scrap of fabric I've saved for years, and some from my first ever charm pack. There's the one that's leftover fabric from her first party dress, and one that was the lining of her sun hat.
I added a 2 inch white sashing around the quilt edge, and backed the quilt in one huge piece of Lizzy House's Pearl Bracelet fabric in Glacier. Love.
The binding is a scrappy binding made from the same fabric in three colourways: pink, lime green and grey. I couldn't decide which colour I liked best, so used them all. I figured that the front of the quilt was so bold and colourful that it needed something special around the edges.
I'm so happy with this quilt, I put so much love and work into it; even pulling out seams when squares didn't line up (!) and carefully lining everything up so there were no identical squares side-by-side. I can't believe I finished it (A) in time and (B) at all. #happy.
This is Bert. His name comes from his pattern, another amigurumi animal by Sharonlee Holder. I saw him made up in Thimbles, a yarn shop in Durbanville, Cape Town, while on holiday there. Such a lovely shop, so worth a visit if you're in the area.
He's very sweet, and the proportions are all right. I made him using Vinni's Colours Serina, a bamboo yarn which is really lovely to work with. Really annoyingly, I ran out of yarn about 3/4 of the way through! So frustrating! This happened with the giraffe pattern I made a few weeks ago too, from the same pattern designer.
I kept my stitches nice and neat throughout, and matched the pieces to the images so I don't think I should have run out. I had to have someone in South Africa post me an additional ball of yarn... luckily it arrived in time for Isla's birthday.
My baba turned one last week. That's quite something. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by, and how much life has changed (positively) since she arrived.
I love that she is the happiest, most cheerful and enthusiastic little girl I've ever met. I love that she has so much personality, and that she just wants to share it with you all the time. She makes me smile every single day.
We took some time off work, abandoned computers, spent time together with family.
I love that she is the happiest, most cheerful and enthusiastic little girl I've ever met. I love that she has so much personality, and that she just wants to share it with you all the time. She makes me smile every single day.
The birthday, as expected, was a fantastic celebration of turning one. We had balloons and birthday cake, a visit to the zoo, a family tea party, and oh so many presents to unwrap. I baked non-stop: carrot cake, cupcakes, birthday cake, banana bread, caramelised date scones, cake pops.
We unwrapped presents in pyjamas, and ate cake with sprinkles. Isla loved all of the wrapping paper, and especially loved having so many new things to play with. A keyboard, a set of drums, some musical maracas, books (she loves books) and even some beautiful handmade things. Lucky girl.
She went hands-first into the many-layered birthday cake (good girl). She shrieked with delight at balloons. She insisted on sitting on her baby-sized scooter way past her bedtime.
I feel very lucky. Even though we are so far from our families, we were spoilt with cards and best wishes sent from afar - parcels from New Zealand and South Africa, gifts from Norway, and even an incredible present from a penpal in Brazil! Isla was completely spoilt. Thank you to everyone who helped brighten her birthday weekend!
Another day, another ta da! This is Duck, the Giraffe. Raveled here.
Duck is a completely posable free-standing giraffe, with a jingly bell in his neck and a really cute twisty tail.
His legs, attached through buttons, are moveable, so he can sit or stand or lie down atop your sofa. As he does.
I used this pattern for Gerald the Giraffe by designer Sharonlee Holder. The pattern was a pain, as I had to stop regularly to re-read things and figure things out a bit. Some instructions were clear, others were sparse and barely there, some details were omitted, and some were just plain annoying (like the fact that I ran out of yarn about two-thirds of the way through the giraffe). Overall it was fine, and it helped that I had another one of her patterns on-hand to compare notes.
The yarn. Oh. The Yarn. I used Vinni's Colours in Serina, 100% bamboo yarn that is oh-so-soft and just lovely to work with. It gets a bit fiddly when you only have a little left but it the final result is so worth it.
I ran out of yarn about 2/3rds of the way through and had to arrange for a second ball of yarn to be purchased and sent over from South Africa (there is but ONE supplier of Vinni's yarns here in the UK, and they didn't have stock of sunshine yellow. Blegh. Someone is missing a real business opportunity here!).
Because.
I was working on attaching all the giraffey bits together, slowly piecing them together one afternoon while Isla was playing next to me. I put him down for a moment, within reach. She picked up the leg-less giraffe, looked at me with huge eyes and a massive smile, and said - at the top of her voice - duck!
Isla's vocabulary is somewhat limited, being not-yet-one. "Duck" is by far her favourite word at the moment, but she is quite precise as to what is a duck and what is not. It must be yellow. It must make a duck noise.
Apparently giraffes-without-legs qualify.
Just two more hand-made gifts to finish in time for The Birthday. Almost done. Am sure I will like them more than she will, but when you're one, everything is amazing and wonderful and perfect so I have high hopes. (Just make sure that there are balloons on the day and whatever you choose will be fine.)
Time has sped since we returned from our trip to South Africa. We've had visitors, we've all been sick with some 'flu or virus or another, and the days are rolling by into shorter and shorter burst of sunshine. Lots of scarves, slippers, pots of cosied-tea.
For a time, we were all sick, and spent our nights huddled under a blanket on the sofa. All three of us, sniffling and snuffling with the healing powers of Olbas oil wedged under our noses. Sometimes waking, sometimes taking turns to sleep. That hazy week (two weeks? more?) had no definite beginning nor end, although we seem to have unbundled and made our way out into the world a bit. Isla started nursery, we're back at work.
And, I've knitted. Just a bit. You know, to remind my fingers how they work when not emailing / designing / other work-y action. I have tiny moments of reflection late at night after baby has had a bath and gone to bed, after supper has been prepared, eaten, plates packed away. Sometimes these tiny moments are filled with tea, or with plans. And sometimes, they're filled with yarn.
Socks, not for me. He chose the yarn for himself, and is a happy recipient of warm woolly toes at winter time. This is a self-striping hand-painted yarn which is quite cheerful, and lovely to knit with. I did one at a time, on two circular needles.
For a time, we were all sick, and spent our nights huddled under a blanket on the sofa. All three of us, sniffling and snuffling with the healing powers of Olbas oil wedged under our noses. Sometimes waking, sometimes taking turns to sleep. That hazy week (two weeks? more?) had no definite beginning nor end, although we seem to have unbundled and made our way out into the world a bit. Isla started nursery, we're back at work.
And, I've knitted. Just a bit. You know, to remind my fingers how they work when not emailing / designing / other work-y action. I have tiny moments of reflection late at night after baby has had a bath and gone to bed, after supper has been prepared, eaten, plates packed away. Sometimes these tiny moments are filled with tea, or with plans. And sometimes, they're filled with yarn.
I bought this yarn from an enormous yarn shop in Cape Town. Two balls. So far, have knit knit knitted one ball up into two lovely socks using my very favourite sock pattern (here).
Sock knitting is oh-so-gratuitous. You get a whole, finished item in just a few short knitting hours, and much of it can be done without paying too much attention. Just in case you happen to be watching The Great British Bake Off on TV before turning a heel.
I really, really like that they stripe in different places and that they're quite clearly a pair, although they don't quite match. There's enough yarn left over for another sock - maybe one to match the leftover yarn from the next pair? Baby socks? Raveled here.
Baby's birthday in a few weeks; I've planned a few special home-made gifts and some other light-up-noise-making-plastic-goodies too. A good balance, with added cake. I can hardly believe that she is suddenly turning one!
Baby is messy. That's why I love that our high chair is plastic and wipe-able. The only downside? It's plain and boring in white, and must be freeeeezing cold to sit on when Messy Baby has lunch in only a nappy. This happens frequently.
And so, I turned to pinterest and happened upon this pattern for the IKEA Antilop High Chair Cover. Hurray!
And so, I turned to pinterest and happened upon this pattern for the IKEA Antilop High Chair Cover. Hurray!
Pretty successful, I'd say. The fit is surprisingly good, and I was able to use up bits of fabric I had stashed away for a rainy day.
This is the inside-seat view. Good fit all round, and I'm especially pleased that there is space for the straps to come around because Messy Baby has just learned how to be Standy-Uppy-in-High-Chair Baby too.
I chose hot pink for the backing fabric. I love that there is a bright secret splash of fuchsia hiding underneath all of those dinosaurs.
Isla approves. So does the snuggly triceratops.
Another baby birthday, another dress ... but this time it was for the birthday girl, not the baba.
I made the Granny Square Crochet Baby Dress (pattern here), which turned out rather nicely.
The bodice is made up of crocheted granny squares and treble crochet rows, and the skirt is a cotton fabric attached to the hem of the crocheted bodice.
I used Sirdar Simply Recycled Aran in teal for the bodice - I loved working with this yarn! It has such a nice feel about it. The skirt is a Fabric Freedom music note print.
I followed the pattern and made up 8 squares, but only needed 7 as the squares were a bit bigger in the aran yarn.
I made some changes to the pattern because the neckline was just far too high. It would be fine for an older child, but definitely not a crawling and toddling toddler. I lowered the neckline by one row and added two simple straps that fasten at the back with buttons.
