‘Twas the night before Christmas holiday...

...and all through the house

every creature was stirring except for this mouse.

The stockings were packed in the suitcase with care

in the hopes that BA would fly them swiftly through the air.

Bunny in her pyjamas, Little Flower sitting in her lap,

were reading a Christmas story while last-minute gifts mama wrapped.

Nordicware gingerbread cake tins

Gingerbread house cake with icing sugar snow!

When all of a sudden there arose such a clatter,

the girls sprang from their chair to see what was the matter.

When what to their weary eyes did appear

but mama smiling in the kitchen surrounded by gifts of good cheer.

She was dressed in her apron, surely not at this hour?

And her clothes were all tarnished with sugar and flour.

A spice-scented cookie she held delicately in her hand

and she grinned like a queen who ruled all the land.

“I’ve found it!” she cried. “What?” came the girls’ plea.

“At last I have found the perfect Christmas cookie recipe!

“I needed a recipe that was tasty and quick.

“And these fruitcake cookies were just the trick!”

Walnuts, raisins, cherries, figs...

“The ingredients make dough logs that I slice

“into cookies when needed, and they make 60 – quite nice!

“On my list I have so many handmade gifts

“that I’m glad to find a recipe that makes loads and is swift.”

Then a wink of her eye and a twist of her head

gave the little girls warning that it was soon time for bed.

She spoke not a word but went straight to her craft

and filled all the gift bags, tied them with ribbon, then laughed:

“Look at the bags and the jars balanced steady.

“There are so many presents, it looks like Santa’s been here already!”

While papa settled the girls in bed safe and sound,

mama packed up the goodies to deliver all round.

Early next morning they bundled the kids the car

and readied themselves for a Christmas afar.

And she was heard to exclaim as they drove out of sight:

“Happy Christmas to all, I hope we have a smooth flight!”

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year! 
Chrissie x

Handmade gifts: Mulled Wine Spice Kit

I’m afraid I won’t have any photos of our Christmas decorations for you this year. The halls aren’t decked, the tree won’t be put up...but the stockings are being packed into a nice big suitcase, because this year we are spending Christmas with my mother and grandmother in America!

Every year I bake Christmas cookies for friends and neighbours, but because we are leaving soon, I don’t have the time to devote to baking lots and lots and lots of goodies. So in addition to the chutneys and jams I made during the autumn, I’m making mulled wine kits:

This is a super-speedy gift that still has the touch of handmade care. Some sugar cubes, cloves, allspice berries, star anise, a slice of dried orange, a few gratings of nutmeg, a cinnamon stick and half a vanilla pod are all tucked into a little muslin bag and hung on a bottle of red wine.

I bought some muslin bags from ebay, but you can find them in supermarkets, cookware shops or even make your own from muslin fabric. The bottle is adorned with the spice bag and a gift tag, with the instructions written on the back:

Pour the wine into a saucepan, add the spice bag

and simmer for 30 minutes.

Happy Christmas!

I added one of my little crocheted Christmas trees to the gift tag for an extra special touch. I’m giving a bottle to our house sitter, as part of a gift bag for Bunny’s teacher, some bottles for wine-loving friends...

Dried oranges are simple to make. Slice one orange very thinly, place on a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with icing sugar/powdered sugar, about a tablespoon or so per slice.

Bake in a 100◦C/200◦F oven for 2-½ to 3 hours, until dried and deep orange.

I have a tried-and-true Christmas cookie recipe that I will share soon; I can’t make it through a Christmas season without baking at least one thing! These will be for the postman, the bin men and others who work year round helping us in our daily lives.

I will be taking a few treasured ornaments to the States, and speaking of ornaments, let me show you the sweet toadstool that I received from Carol of Tales from Spring Cottage as part of Ladybird Diaries Decoration Swap:

A pretty little house, and there is some pretty stitching on the back as well

Thank you Carol!

Although I’m a bit sad not to be unwrapping all of our tissue-covered ornaments and stringing fairy lights throughout the house, I am over the moon to be taking Bunny and Little Flower to see their grandma and great-grandma for a super-special Christmas! (And, my crafty friends, I will be packing a full suitcase into an empty one, because I want extra space to fill with goodies I will find at JoAnne Fabrics, various craft stores...I wonder what Martha Stewart has added to her craft range since last I visited? Hmmm...)

Now I must get back to packing and making more last-minute gifts, and I’d better test out one of those spice bags to make sure I have the recipe just right...

Chrissie x

Blooming flowers, blooming ideas

Greetings to you all and a happy welcome to my newest followers. We are well into the Bloomin’ CAL with Ladybird Diaries, and I think for most of us the attention has shifted from hexies and blankets to Christmas projects...

I managed a few more rows of this oh-so-manly scarf from the latest issue of Simply Crochet. The yarn is King Cole Riot Chunky, and my dears, is it lovely! Soft, silky, and very warm, it is sure to keep Darling Husband toasty during the coldest of workday commutes.

It is worked in a granite stitch, which I’d never done before but it does sound macho, doesn’t it? I typically don’t crochet for men because, well, crochet usually just works up more lacy and delicate than knitting, but I spotted this and just had to make it. I like the yarn and stitch so much, though, that I am snooping around the other variegated shades of Riot Chunky for some more feminine shades...

Off the hook this week is a sweet collar for Little Flower:

This tiny pattern (and I mean tiny – the flowers are worked in embroidery floss and a size 2.5 mm hook!) is also from Simply Crochet, it’s a great issue this month, chock full of little gifts and lovely projects!

As I was making this collar, Little Flower helped choose the colours for the flowers, she happily stood while I measured the size to fit...so of course now she refuses to put it on, not even for a quick photo. Hmph.

Now, I’m not one to start thinking about Christmas until my birthday has passed on 1 December. My presents and my cake come before the advent calendar! But then we go mad and decorate and create and bake like we were proper Santa’s elves. So although I am not decorating, I’m starting to sort out the gifts, and that means thinking about how to wrap and present them...

And I have a few yarny ideas I’m going to test during the next few days. More to come in next week’s CAL update!

What’s on your hook this week? Please link up below!

Chrissie x

P.S. Thank you all for your well wishes for Little Flower’s recovery, she’s almost back to full health, a few more days of snuggling and back to pre-school next week!

Simple gifts still life

This week I have received generous and beautiful harvest gifts from friends: 

The last of the dahlias from Jooles garden, tied with a velvet ribbon and given to me this morning when we met to do some quilting (more on that soon!).

A generous batch of quinces from a crafty friend's tree - their heady scent has filled the kitchen, simply scrumptious! We plan to meet up to make quince jelly and to try a recipe I found for quince and pumpkin chutney (more on that soon, too!).

The last of the apples shared with me by a music teacher friend - the rest made their way into apple-cinnamon cupcakes with honey frosting (The Love Bakery Cookbook, a gem!). These last little fellas are destined to become apple-blackberry jelly with the frosty blackberries in the photo, picked from the hedgerow on our road and frozen to try to keep little hands from gobbling them all up! 

What has autumn given you this week? 

Chrissie x

Granny Square Bookmark

Peek-a-boo! What is peeping out of this book?

It’s a bookmark made of itty bitty granny squares!

I created this bookmark for someone who doesn’t crochet, whose favourite colour is green, and who is a librarian...and this person sent me the loveliest package of goodies in the post a few days ago...

Thank you so much, dear Suzanne! She knows I love my birdies, and I was very touched indeed to receive such pretties from Mrs. Bramble at Tales from My Craft Room! I will treasure these indeed.

Of course, I could just send a nice thank-you note, but I really wanted to send a little treat as well. So I chose to make her something that she most likely won’t have but hopefully will enjoy!

Would you like to make one? I enjoyed crocheting this with delicate DMC cotton thread and a 2mm hook, and I think I’ll buy some more colours and make some more for the book lovers in my life! Perfect stocking stuffers, or treats for teachers...

Granny Square Bookmark

You need:

DMC Petra Crochet Cotton Perle No. 5 (I used pale mint green and white, bought here)

2mm crochet hook

Method (written in UK terminology):

Using your first colour, ch 4, sl st to form a ring.

Round 1: ch 2 (counts as 1 tr), 2 tr, *ch 2, 3 tr. Repeat from * two more times (four clusters and four corners), sl st to top of ch 2 st. Fasten off.

Round 2: Join in next colour in corner, ch 2 (counts as 1 tr), (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in corner space, *3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr in corner space. Repeat from * in remaining two corner spaces, sl st to top of ch 2 st. Fasten off.

Round 3: Join in next colour in corner, ch 2 (counts as 1 tr), (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in corner space, 3 tr in side space, *(3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in corner space, 3 tr in side space*, repeat from * to * twice more, sl st to top of ch 2 st. Fasten off and weave in ends.

This pattern makes one granny square. I made four small squares for this bookmark, with the join-as-you-go (JAYG) method. JAYG is easy once you get the hang of it – you are basically slip stitching the squares together at adjacent stitches. Here is how you do the remaining squares:

Crochet the first two rounds of the next square.

Round 3: Join in next colour in corner, ch 2 (counts as 1 tr), (2 tr, ch 1, sl st to the bottom right corner space in previous square {see photo below} ch 1, 3 tr) in corner space.

Next step: sl st to previous square in the stitch to the right of the side space {see photo below}, 3 tr in side space,

sl st to previous square in the stitch to the left of the side space {see photo below}

(3 tr, ch 1, sl st to the bottom left corner space in the previous square {yep, you guessed it, see photo below} ch 1, 3 tr) in corner space,

3 tr in side space, *(3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in corner space, 3 tr in side space, repeat from * on remaining two sides, sl st to ch 2 st.

You should have happy squares joined together!

Edging: Join colour anywhere along one of the long sides of the bookmark, ch 1, *1 dc in each st along the side, 2 dc in corner space (I found that 3 dc in this Cotton Perle made my corners ruffle and fan out, so I changed to 2 dc, but if this causes your bookmark to curl, try 3 dc in the corner and chill out a bit, you’re tension is tight! ;-} ). Repeat from * until you meet back where you joined in your thread, sl st to join. Fasten off and weave in ends. Ta-dah!

Please do get in touch if you try this pattern, show me how it turns out, or if something goes wrong or you're muddled...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

A fine week

I hope you’ve all had a successful week getting back into autumn routines! We had fun, but I’m a bit wiped out, so pull up a chair and have some tea and cookies with me...

You deserve a treat after this busy week – these are Chocolate-Strawberry Thumbprints (though I popped a raspberry on top of one, diced strawberries on the other) and you can find the recipe here. They are delightful – the chocolate cookie has a sandy texture and deep chocolate flavour, topped by a creamy dollop of sweetened cream cheese, finished with a juicy burst of berries. Like a cheesecake petit four (and yes, I would have made these for this past week’s Great British Bake Off, they are that yummy!).

And do you like the cake plate and teacup? My grandma sent a set of these to me a while back, she was clearing out her cupboards and knew I’d love this vintage set.

You can see the shape, but I think you’re missing the pink squiggle design on the glass with the white fabric, so check it out with a darker background

I love this set! Tea and cookies taste better when served in pretty cups and plates, you know...

I made a batch of the cookies for my village craft group, which met last night. Lots of sewing, crochet, cross stitch...and I finished Grandma’s iPad cover! I came home and blocked the sides overnight

Then crocheted it together and finished it this morning

I based the design on the pattern in the new Granny Squares book, but I shortened it by a row of squares so that it would fit the iPad Mini. All that’s left is to wrap in in some pretty paper and send it on its way!

I sent off another craft project earlier this week – a simple embroidered napkin.

I stitched the little bee and hive for The Napkin Project, which is a joint venture between the artist Deirdre Nelson, Brunelcare and arts consultancy Willis Newson. The project aimed to provide hundreds of embroidered napkins to care homes to stimulate the creativity of those living with dementia. 

Research showed that textiles, such as an embroidered napkin, “can offer an immediate visual field, a source of tactile pleasure and engagement” to someone with dementia. Contributors were each sent a white napkin and had the freedom to stitch whatever they wished. I was inspired by the beautiful summer sunshine and bees buzzing around my garden.

I didn’t draw the design, I just went for it freestyle – French knots in a variegated yellow-white floss for the centre, then lazy daisy petals.

I had fun stitching the bee’s little trail from his hive

I very faintly drew a little dome for the hive, then just backstitched the design. I like the simplicity of it; I wanted it to look a bit hand-drawn and not perfect like you’d get from a machine-embroidered piece. The teeny weeny bees were most fun, one strand of floss and a tiny needle! I hope that whoever holds it finds it sweet and calming.

But I want to make my own beehive now, which is why I included my ‘hive sweet hive’ doodle in my Stitching Sundays post – are you ready for this Sunday? We’ll talk about how to transfer designs and start stitching...I hope those of you who are joining me will post about your progress, too!

Have a happy, restful weekend!

Chrissie x

On the hook: Flowers, flowers and more flowers

The kids are back at school, the days are getting shorter, and the evenings are decidedly cooler. Autumn is arriving.

But there is no sign of flowers fading any time soon at my house...

Look what the postman brought me! I had pre-ordered this book a while back and forgot when it was due to be published, so it was a bit like an early birthday when this parcel arrived the other day.

This is Nicki Trench’s latest book, Cute & Easy Crochet with Flowers. I’m a big fan of her Cute & Easy Crochet book, and this new publication is just as chock-full of sweet crochet items. I won’t do a proper review of it yet, because I want to make one of the projects first – but last night I ordered some yarn to make these:

These are round placemats made with Zpagetti, the recycled T-shirt yarn. It’s high time I tried out this type of yarn, but I’ll never have enough old T-shirts to make my own skeins, so I bought some Zpagetti. It should arrive in a few days, so hopefully within the next week or two I’ll let you know how I’m getting on with the placemats.

I wanted to do a quick make from the book first, but this is what I really fancy making:

pretty, pretty, pretty!!!

But first I must finish my other crochet WIPs! The Blossoming Bag (a gal can never have too many crocheted bags) is *so close* to being complete.

Both sides are done, the handles are there, and I even found a lining fabric that coordinates perfectly – it’s difficult to see, but the teeny tiny dots on this fabric match the dark teal blossoms.

So what has got in the way of me finishing this bag? Grandma’s birthday, that’s what!

My grandma turns 89 this month. So what does an 89-year-old need? An iPad Mini, of course...

The family is all pitching in to get her an iPad Mini and whatever broadband thingy she needs at home to make it work. I’ll be able to Skype and “visit” with her all the time! I’m crocheting an iPad cover based on a pattern from Granny Squares, which I reviewed here.

I’ve adapted the pattern to fit an iPad Mini, meaning I just make fewer squares and edge it in two rows on each side rather than three. Easy! I’m also using just one colour of yarn, because that’s the kind of granny square my granny would prefer. She likes green, so I’m using some of the Sirdar Snuggly I have left over from the baby blanket I finished earlier this summer.

I have one side finished, which I whipped up in two evenings while watching telly. I’m joining the squares as I go AND weaving in the ends, which are two revelations for me! It was a bit slow in the beginning, but I stuck with it, and I am so glad I did. The project comes together so much more quickly – I am not faced with a zillion pesky ends to weave in afterwards, and I don’t have piles of squares to crochet together. It’s suddenly “ta-dah!” and one side is all done! This is the way forward...

I have to send this gift on Monday at the latest, so I’ll have a FO post very soon. Shhh! Don’t tell Grandma!

Chrissie x

A little thank-you gift, step by step

Take one vintage tea towel, one embroidery hoop, one needle, one pair of scissors, two shades of embroidery floss

Trace hearts onto the towel using a cookie cutter and a fabric pencil

Stitch a simple design – in this case, double-bloom poppies in a soft shade of pink (French knots), with their sinuous blue-green stems (stem stitch). I did freestyle embroidery with this one rather than drawing a design on the fabric.

Fold the fabric in half, right sides facing, and machine or hand stitch around the heart, leaving a gap to turn right sides out. Cut around the heart shape ¼” outside the seam line, turn right sides out, and stuff with toy filling. Stitch a length of twine on top and knot.

Package it up with a little thank-you note and pop in the post!

(This particular token of appreciation is for Debbie at Serendipity Patch, who generously offered to share double-bloom poppy seeds with anyone who was interested. I received my batch of teeny seeds in the post last week, hence the poppies on the little heart. I don't know how many batches she posted, but that kind of generosity deserves a treat – thank you, Debbie!)

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

The edible bouquet

I see plenty of beautiful flowers in the florist’s window. Supermarkets now stock an abundance of bouquets, and even petrol stations stock enough blooms to cover an emergency hostess gift. But my favourite posy to give is an edible one, picked straight from my herb garden.

 

All you see here is can be eaten! I love picking an array of pretty blooms and leaves and arranging them in a wildflower-style bunch tied with twine.

These posies make me happy, even happier when the recipient discovers that they can snip various leaves and blooms throughout the week to flavour dinners!

The variety of herbs varies week to week – the little purple orbs of chive flowers always look pretty (be careful, though, or the bouquet will smell entirely of onion!) but they died out last week. The soft green sage leaves haven’t grown high enough yet. So what culinary treats are in this particular bouquet? Let’s see...

Start with one perfect rose...

 

Add some more floral colour with bronze fennel flower, lavender and marsh mallow

 

 

The liquid resulting from boiling the marsh mallow plant can be used like egg whites.

Then we need some background greenery. The ferny fronds of sweet cicely and the bold bay leaf work well...

 

 

Need some architectural interest - some arching, frothy bronze fennel leaves

And the dainty white-dotted stems of oregano and savoury

Just caught the oregano flowers before they completely fade

The savoury stems curve up nicely...

I usually give a posy to a fellow foodie friend. To make the offering even more of a ‘proper’ gift, add a little recipe card featuring one or more of the plants in the herbal bouquet – a soup, a salad dressing, even sugared rose petals for cake decorating...

Happy crafting and bon appétit!

Chrissie x