Post-Christmas blues - or purples, or reds...

Having done quite a lot of making for Christmas, I feel a bit crafted out and lacking inspiration. I was given a fab book called 'crafting creativity' which has lots of ideas so I may try a few to get back in the groove. I've made a resolution though to start making presents for next year much earlier - it was a bit a rush this year.

The handmade presents included two felted pots that I'm secretly rather proud of. But in the rush to finish them in time I forgot to take a photo which is annoying. They were made from a woollen cardy I found in a charity shop, lilac and heavily cabled. I felted it in the washing machine and it went so stiff! The two front panels I made into the pots so they ended up with cables running around the outside, and I lined them with some fabric I stashed a long time ago because I loved it. Then they were filled with homemade truffles - lovely and messy to make - mmm. I think I'm going to use the back of the cardy to make a bag, but I'm not sure what to use the arms for, they have cables running down them and are too good to waste! Some small purses maybe.

Stephanie's crawling!

Stephanie has learnt to crawl! We thought that extended carpet time at Grandma's might do it, and sure enough, as soon as we got there on Christmas Eve she was away. She is now crawling around on the wooden floor at home as well, much to Hannah's bemusement. They follow one another around the room, Stephanie crawling over to see what Hannah's doing, Hannah shifting herself and her toys away, Stephanie moving over to where she's shifted to, and so on ad infinitum. Amusing for us, but Hannah gets so cross! A new dimension to the sibling relationship, methinks.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.

Esmerelda and Nesbitt

Esmerelda (the tall pink one, since renamed Polly Allheart) and Nesbitt (stripy aardvark-like one) have gone to a new home. These are sock creatures, which I create in aid of Max Appeal. Usually I recycle old and odd socks, but these two were specially made from socks provided by their new owners. I wish them a long and happy life, and I know they are well loved.

Pelmanism

I feel like I'm in a giant game of pelmanism (pairs to you and me - my grandpa always called it pelmanism) at the moment - there are one half of several pairs of gloves and shoes hanging around, and a whole pile of single socks, all tiny (therefore belonging to the two younger members of the family). I wander around the house spotting one sock/glove/shoe, and then thinking, where did I see the other one?

I know what to do with the socks - if their partner can't be found they find their way into my bag of old and odd socks, to be made into sock creatures. More about that another day.