Snowflake Giveaway

!!!THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED!!!

I have made and blocked quite a lot of snowflakes in the last couple of weeks (17 at the last count). I really don't know what I'll do with them all, so I thought I'd have a little giveaway.

Up for grabs are the 7 snowflakes* pictured above which vary in size from 8cm to 10cm in diameter.  Also included will be one of the felt hearts I made last week...

and I'm sure there'll be some kind of seasonal chocolate too.  

To enter just leave a comment on this post, being sure to let me know whether you'd prefer the red or blue heart.  Also, please ensure I have a way of contacting you through your comment. 


I will pick a winner on Monday 5th December. 


Good luck!

* The snowflakes have been blocked but hanging threads have not been attached. This is so whoever wins can decide whether to hang them individually or as a garland.

p.s. If you live in the UK and want some crocheted snowflakes you can get them in Paperchase at £4 for 12.  I think these are disgracefully underpriced. These snowflakes must be handmade, and making and blocking a snowflake can take up to an hour, so I dread to think what the people who made these were paid.  If you paid me £4 for 1 snowflake you wouldn't even be paying me the UK minimum wage.  Right, rant over, as you were!

Advent

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, so we've decorated... 

and lit Advent candles...

And the real countdown begins.

It's like Christmas come early...

I very recently won a giveaway hosted by Andamento.  My parcel arrived today, a day where I was feeling more than a little under-par (no sympathy required, totally self-inflicted!). Receiving a beautifully wrapped parcel through the post was just the tonic I needed. Despite the fact the parcel wasn't for them, the levels of excitement displayed by the children were something to behold. What they're going to be like by Christmas is anyone's guess. "Open it! Open it!", they shrieked...

Inside the parcel was 'Christmas Crafting in No Time', a book full of gorgeous projects and one I'd had my eye on for a while*.  Also included was the wherewithal to make a felt owl ornament and a bar of chocolate which hasn't lasted long...

I made the owl this afternoon...

Thank you so much, Andamento.

I am intending to pay the kindness forward any day now, so keep your eyes peeled for a little Christmas giveaway of my own.

*You can 'look inside' this book on Amazon, but you can get it cheaper at the Book People.

Making a mess making felt hearts

There's bits of felt, ribbon, crochet embellishments, buttons and thread everywhere...

Loved making these once I got the hang of sewing around the curves. And, no, I don't feel at all guilty about cutting up a vintage doily!

If you're quick you might still have time to enter a giveaway over at That Crafty Fish. Pip Lincolne's new book, 'Make Hey! - while the sun shines', is up for grabs.

Have a great weekend x

November Cheer

Ee, it's grim oop North today.  Not that's it's chucking it down or anything, it's just grey and cold.  I think we've been spoiled by a few weeks of mild, dry weather.

So, I'm writing this blog post primarily as a way of avoiding doing some much needed cleaning. Really, what's the point of mopping the kitchen floor when the cat will immediately do out, dig around in the lawn for a while, and then come in and spread muddy footprints from one end of the newly clean floor to the other? 

Cheering up a grey day...

the newly flowered paper whites...

a growing pile of snowflakes...

a couple of teeny Christmas stockings from the pattern by Angie at Le monde de sucrette...

finding a family of Duplo dinosaurs on the landing upstairs...

and a post-it note found attached to the bedroom door...

from #1 child

Hope you're all having a good week so far x


p.s. the sun has come out in the time it's taken me to write this post - another reason to be cheerful!

How to block a snowflake

Well, this is one way to block a snowflake, I can't say it's the only way. 

You will need a blocking guide (I use these ones), rust free pins, cling film, pva glue, a paint brush and some kind of blocking surface you don't mind sticking pins into.  

My blocking surface is my ironing board covered with a piece of cardboard because I find the cardboard helps hold the pins in place.

Print off a blocking guide. I always use one with more axes than I need - so for a 6 pointed snowflake I use a 12 point guide.  And I always use the circular ones just because they have more guide lines.

Smiley wax crayon face optional

Put the blocking guide onto your blocking surface and cover it with a piece of clingfilm (gladwrap/cling wrap) to prevent the snowflake being glued onto the paper.

Take your sorry looking unblocked snowflake 

and start pinning it into place along the axes of the blocking guide. Use lots of pins. You may get sore thumbs.

Paint the pinned doily with PVA glue (watered down if you like).

Leave the snowflake to dry - overnight is best - then unpin and marvel at the transformation you have wrought.

x




Edited to add: the pattern for this snowflake, the snowflakes you could see in my last post and all those I made last year, appears in '60 crocheted snowflakes' by Barbara Christopher.  


Other great resources for crochet snowflake patterns are the 'Snowcatcher' blog and Ravelry, which brought up 374 results when I searched for free crochet snowflake patterns.

And so the countdown begins...

Well, in truth, it started a couple of weeks ago when I made the Christmas cake and started squirreling away stocking fillers*, but this week I've made some snowflakes...

several doily imprinted Christmas decorations using Fimo. (but wouldn't they make great gift tags too?)..

and, just this morning, Christmas chutney. Don't the contents of this pan say Christmas to you?

Cranberries, apple and dates. Then satsuma zest and juice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cayenne pepper. Some of this will be given away, but there'll be a couple of jars kept back for us.  It really couldn't be easier to make and you can find the recipe here.

Whilst perusing Nigella's Christmas book I chanced upon the recipe for sticky gingerbread. How could I resist? I had some apples left over from making the chutney so we'll be having gingerbread and stewed apples for pudding tonight. Just what you need on an, erm, unseasonably warm November day!


Hope you're all having a great weekend x

* I am one of those annoying people who never leaves anything until the last minute - Sorry!

Off the hook :: Chunky granny cushion cover

As soon as I saw the chunky giant granny square cushion covers in Rowan's Purelife Home booklet I knew I was going to have to make one for myself.  

Source

Source

I knew that the pattern I was using for my Autumn blanket would led itself well to one of these cushions. So off I trotted to acquire a ball of Aran weight yarn. I used the biggest hook I had - 10mm - and two strands of yarn.  This chunky square is over twice the size of one of the squares in my Autumn blanket... 

The cushion is the same front and back and I am very, very happy with the way this turned out.  I'd be making more if it weren't for the fact we have enough cushions in the house.

Hook :: 10mm

Yarn :: 2 balls of Patons Wool Blend Aran, shade 97 (steel), used double

Pattern :: Drops 120-3 with an extra round of trebles added around the edge
Size :: fits a 35cm x 35cm cushion pad


Before I go I feel the need to show you the tree outside the house. I know it's ridiculous, but every morning when I pull up the blinds I'm slightly astonished by the colour of it. You'd think I'd got used to it by now, but I obviously have the memory of a goldfish!