Bugger, I'm already behind!

[glentherednosedbattleostrich]

Hello, I'm guessing it'll be quiet on here now apart from the dedicated few!

So, I've planned to start early on Christmas 2017 so I could have all the handmade bits done by summer.

I want to make 20 cuddly toys (a mix of dragons, polar bears and seals)

Christmas cards for family

A mermaid tail blanket for DD

Scarves for DM, DMIL, DSIL and me

Some Christmas bunting for the hallway

3 Christmas cakes

Mincemeat / mince pies

I thought starting a thread here might be a good check list for me to keep track of where I am up to.

I have started my first dragon, he's 1/3 done and should be completed by new year's day. I just need to learn to crochet and sew now!

I'm planning to learn how to crochet so as to make Christmas decorations and presents throughout the year for next Christmas. I was supposed to have used my days off over Christmas to start learning but somehow haven't gotten around to it, so yy to being behind

Christmas happy juice Rudy (aka the last of the mulled wine).

Ooh, Christmas decorations you say Another. I have toyed with sticking a crochet star or other decoration to the front of a card for the reciever to hang on the tree. I really need to get on Pinterest for inspiration.

I learned to crochet in the days before the Internet but I often see Bella Coco on YouTube recommended. I'd suggest doing the mermaid tail before the weather years warm or you'll swelter with it on your lap.

I can send you some yarn and a crochet hook to practice with (freebies from a magazine).

Well, I want a photo of this dragon. By midday on 1.1.17.

I'm also hoping to teach myself crochet so I can make some decorations - I think I od on Kirsty handmade Christmas

I made a trial batch of flavoured gin liqueurs this year which went down well I done blackberry and a mulled spice version - will be doing again but aim to have them going by early September

How are you making the animals? I'd love to see.

I've started a scarf for my sister. It's her birthday in Feb but if I miss that I'll do it for Christmas. I need to find a source of good wool at a reasonable price.

O will do my best MaeveMillay, he looks very cute in his picture on the pattern.

Thanks TheWoollybackswife. I have some leftover yarn in my knitting basket (a lovely new storage bin from SIL) and I ordered a set of hooks in the John Lewis sale (to match my knitting bag, saddo that I am). Excellent point about the blanket. Think I'll make the dragon and hopefully my hooks will have arrived and I can spend January figuring out how to make the blanket. Little toys will be a nice project in spring / summer.

This is the polar bear

I'm knitting them. Can post a photo of the pattern if you likr

I'm going to mark my place because I'm really into my knitting atm and would love to be organised for next year. DS will be 18 months ish by then and I'm a teacher so am anticipating a busy busy Christmas next year, whereas this year I've been on ML and DS didn't have a clue what was going on. Add to that my desperate desire to host next year... I will spend this year practising roast dinners and knitting like a fiend! And hopefully keeping an eye out for bargains and buy presents throughout the year instead of panicking mid December like I always do brilliant thread

I want to spend this year sewing some felt tree decorations. Anyone got any good patterns or books to recommend?

Oh that's adorable! I'm not sure my knitting is up to it. My ds1 is desperate for me to knit him a scarf. Might try a toy after.

All Jean greenhowe patterns are so easy for knitted toys!

It's very easy, honest. It was my first project. I only taught myself to knit in august.

Off to Google more patterns and hobbies 😂

I do have a very simple chunky knit scarf pattern in one of my magazines, will dig it out on the morning. It only took me a day to make DD one of these.

I've knitted various things I'm just really slow. My current one is a lace / leaf pattern.

www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/12/02/lovely-leaf-lace-scarf/

I need to find something chunky and quick for ds, if you do find the time to look it out and take a photo for me I'd be grateful :-)

I may have to knit DS a new Christmas jumper for 2017. I knit him one last year but made it super big so it fit this year and might still work for next year. As a slow knitter, I just can't bring myself to make a jumper that won't get as much wear as possible. To maximise wear, I designed a normal character jumper and separately knit 2d hats and stitched them on the character heads in December. On Jan 6th, this year I snipped the hats of and hey presto it's a regular jumper again. The hats got stitched back on again this December and will come off again next week.

Oh that's clever SpringerS

I miss Woolworths, where you could pop in over the first week of January and stock up on Christmas paper etc for thruppence muppence. I'm reduced to 3for2 in tescos in bloody December. How am I meant to wrap anything in August??

Oh, he's lovely!

I definitely need to improve upon the vegan stuffing and nut roast: both of which were too much of a mishmash of flavours and textures and ended up burnt!

I am ahead in as much as the Christmas tree is rooted in a pot, which I will pot on a size larger.

Picked up fabulous crackers courtesy of Sainsbos.

On the look out for suitably festive table linens and tableware.

Expect to be hosting a full blown lunch at some point, if not on the actual day so a general honing of hostess skills and hospitality!! The key to which appears to be maintaining ones' calm and dignity!

The dragons head and body are done and stuffed. Just having a little rest and will do the snout and tail.

Ordered some silly games for the table / stockings today

Booked onto a sockmonkey class with dd and a learn to crochet class and my new bamboo knitting needles and crochet hooks arrived today.

I was even knitting in the cinema today instead of munching!