Happy New Year - and a Morris Traveller

Happy New Year. It has been a tough time for everyone, in different ways, but I am wishing everyone who visits here that you find joy and comfort in being creative in 2022.

I would like to show you one of the things I have been working on. It is a Morris Traveller for my mother-in-law. When my husband was a child this was the family car, and he remembers all four children being piled early in the morning half asleep into this car for the long trip from Devon to Norfolk. Although I wasn't well enough to go on the Christmas visit, my husband says she instantly recognised it when she opened the parcel and was really delighted to see the old family car.

You really don't see these cars around much any more, but they were very distinctive, with the wooden box frame at the back. I have spent a lot of time looking at photos. The curved bonnet at the front has also been a bit of a challenge. In due course this will be a pattern, but I will have to write up from my notes, and make a few more, before I am ready to publish it.  

 

I have decided for the moment to have a little break from the regular monthly Ginx Woolly Linx Party. I will continue to visit the blogs of regular contributors and keep up-to-date with what you are working on. I started the link party in 2018, but have felt recently I have been relying on it too much, and not been publishing my own original work. I am hoping that I can focus a bit next year, and write a few more patterns. Plenty of ideas, but it is very easy to get distracted. But I may occasionally do a themed link party, so do keep checking in with me.

My favourite projects from December's party are this lovely lapghan throw from Valeria of Just East of Eden. Nice to see these Christmas cards from Liz at Howling at the Moon. Simple and elegant.  Alexandra of Eye Love Knots has reviewed a pattern for this fair isle gansey cowl. I enjoyed the fair isle crochet. And finally I could not resist showing you Tonna of Sew Craftsy Crochet who has modelled this Christmas bauble on her own cat, Maki. Just adorable.

 

 

Ginx Woolly Linx Party December

 

You may have noticed, that apart from a lack of my own posts this month, I haven't made my usual attempt to visit and thank you for joining in the link party. Please be assured that I have visited all your blog posts, but illness has left me short of time this month. I even could not do the Christmas craft fair that I had spent so much time getting ready for, but there is another one next weekend, and I'm sure there will be more in the future.

So thank you all for joining in the party. In December I am expecting to see a lot more Christmassy post.

I love Carolyn of Flickensalat's snowstars and angels. So delicate and pretty.

I could not resist Linda of Linda's Crafty Corner's crochet mice and pumpkins. Especially reading that the mice had invaded a meeting. I have spent so much time knitting mice this month, so it was nice to see their crochet cousins.

Liz from Howling at the Moon, has made some lovely crochet baubles, in beautiful cool colours.

And finally Alexandra of Eye Love Knots reviews turkey crochet patterns. Who new that there were quite so many turkey patterns, and it is well-worth checking them out.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mutant Farm Mice

Once again I have been busy making mutant mice. They are really fun to make, and although my husband keeps saying "why not just make some animals" I am quite enjoying keeping them essentially as mice, but with just a few features of other animals. 

I am getting ready for another craft fair next weekend, and although I am not sure these will appeal to anyone, I am having a nice time making them.

 

Still plenty of time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for November.

Audrey Hepburn - A Tiny Icon

I have an item in my Etsy shop called Tiny Icons, where I make tiny versions of icons of screen, or music. I was delighted to have one of my Marilyn Monroe dolls bought recently, and the buyer also wanted an Audrey Hepburn, which I got busy making. 

As you will see, I particularly like it if the icon has an iconic dress or outfit. It makes it a bit easier for me to make the icon recognisable. 

Who are your favourite icons? I would love some ideas of other dolls to make.

 

Still plenty of time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for November.

 

Ginx Woolly Linx Party November

The end of the month has crept up on me as ususal. I really enjoyed seeing all your projects. Slightly more to look at than usual, but maybe that is the autumn evening effect. 

Carolyn of Flickensalat adapted a doll pattern to make Heidi for her granddaughter's birthday. I think this is just adorable, with her frilly knickerbockers and wild hair.

Alexandra of EyeLoveKnots has shared this free pattern she has written for a cactus coaster square.  Very original, and also check out her crochet peace square.

I love the simplicity of this angel, shared by Linda of Linda's Crafty Corner. I mean the simplicity of the design, as I am sure it was not simple to make.

And finally you might think that I have chosen a knitted project, but Liz of Howling at the Moon's elegant plant pot cover is crochetted in waist coat stitch.

With Halloween over, I am expecting to see a few more Christmas projects. I have booked tables at two more Christmas Fairs, so am feeling a little bit of pressure to make a few more  things.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

 

 

Mice, Mice, Mice

I've been busy making some mice, and started off by making some Fair Isle mice from this free pattern by Yellow Pink and Sparkly. After a little while I thought about the pink sugar mice that we would get, especially at Christmas, so had a go at making one of them.

Next it seemed like it might be fun to make a few stripey mice, with different combinations of colours.

And finally after making a black and white striped mouse, I was told I had made a zebra mouse, so I thought I would add to the group with giraffe mouse and lion mouse. The family think I am bonkers!

Still time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for October.

Country Life

 

I've been busy here in the country, but can't believe I have nothing woolly to write about. There just seems a lot of other things to do, and although I have the beginnings of an idea for a new pattern, I am not sure it is going to work out. It is funny like that, sometimes things just fly off the needles, and other times not.

I have booked a table at another craft fair, not until December, and am thinking about making a few very small knitted toys. I felt that there were one or two children at the last fair, who had been give £1 to spend, and would have been very happy to buy a little toy. The current UK news seems to be suggesting there will be no toys in the shops, so perhaps homemade/local is the way to go.

At the top of this post is my single jar of homemade Rose Hip and Apple Jelly. Here is a link to the recipe I used. I love the beautiful colour, and hope it was worth the effort of getting prickled picking the rose hips. The apples came from the supermarket, as our very small crop of apples is all brewing into cider.

Apart from that I have been busy tidying the garden. This isn't my usual garden diary, as a lot of autumn tidying is not very photographable, but here is a selection of the squash we grew. The first is called honeyboat, and then there is the butternut. But finally the more mysterious white acorn squash, which I did not buy seeds for, but just appeared. I think there must have been a mistake at the seed packeting factory, but it was very excited to realise we had something unusual among the other plants.

We also have a few pumpkins, which I haven't picked as yet. I feel they may not be growing any more, but I just like seeing them in the garden.

We have had a few other dramas - losing the dog, and big relief finding her. And I have got a part-time job at a school. I don't begin until November, but am hoping it will really help me feel part of the locality.  

Finally a photo of Lanhydrock House, which we visited at the weekend.

Still plenty of time to to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for October.