Happy New year to you all. I hope 2011 brings you happiness.
Hope you had the holiday break that you were hoping for. Our time off seems to have flown passed and there is only one more day until the children amble back to school. All too soon. To take my mind off it, I’ll take this chance to post up the last of the handmades. These are the ones I couldn’t show before, incase the recipient was peeping.
First off is the celebration tea cosy I made my wonderful mother. Why am I calling it a celebration tea cosy? Good question. Best explained in photos. So the front is shown above. Suitably Christmassy.
Back. In tribute to all the snow we have had this winter.
And finally, in readiness for Easter…..
…the tea cosy can be turned inside out to celebrate Easter.
Next up, my gift to a six year old niece. Her mother suggested a craft kit. I like fun and useful, so I settled on a boot gnome, inspired by The Childrens Year.
I was lucky to get this one out of the house. I had to promise my own children that we would make a set of boot gnomes. I used some of the fabric left over from the tea cosy to make a little bag to put the kit in, along with a finished boot gnome to inspire her creativity. I hope. There is enough to make one for each of the family and an extra for a visitor.
There was also mittens refashioned from a felted jumper. The heart is my first attempt at needle felting.
And socks made from handspun wool. I used the Quick Chunky Socks pattern found on Ravelry. The first, and larger pair, I knitted on the suggested big needles. Very quick but it did leave the knit too loose. I preferred the smaller pair, which I knitted on needles two sizes smaller. These are so quick and so cosy, I’ve a pair on the needles for me!
Another handmade Christmas complete. I make the usual promise to myself that I will start earlier this year. Believe it or not I already have a few ideas. Who knows. Maybe I’ll have everything made and wrapped by July.
Everyone else ready for another year of crafting?
Oh I just love the tea-cosy!!! And the boot gnome is too darling!!! Welcome back!!!
Hi se7en. I kind of fancied hanging on to the tea cosy, but I guess the ones you want to keep are the best presents to give. Nice to back….
What beautiful gifts you have made for your family. I also love the tea cosy and the fact that it is reversible is wonderful. Those socks look very cosy and I’ll be dreaming of having a pair of those on my feet come winter. I don’t want to think about winter just yet though as we have barely had any summer.
The weather in Australia is weird at the moment with unbelievably dreadful floods in Queensland. How my heart goes out to those people whose houses, businesses are under huge amounts of water. The agricultural sectors will suffer huge losses as well which means we may have a shortage of fruit and vegetables this coming year. From record drought the last 10 years, huge bushfires 2 years ago and now floods, it’s certainly taking it toll on some communities.
Well enough of the doldrums. Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent.
Have a wonderful day and I’m looking forward to seeing what your creative hands make next.
Anne xx
We’ve been watching the news reports on the flooding and our hearts go out to all effected by it. One thing that comes over strongly is how upbeat the people interviewed appear. I’m not sure I could find silver linings and something to smile at, when faced with such a challenge. Australians are made of tough stuff!
Love your tea cozies and all the beautiful things you have made. You are very creative. I’m trying out my first pair of socks today.. so far so good.
Good luck with the socks. So lovely to wear home made socks. 🙂
so many gorgeous handmades!
the mittens are lovely! 🙂
Thanks. I loved giving homemades this year.
A reversible tea cosy is a brilliant idea!
the mittens really worked well ..love the needle felted heart :0)
Boot gnome? why boot? do you use them to fasten boots together???
very curious..(Ok nosy and puzzled and a bit thick lol)
I have not been brave enough to try socks yet…they look lovely
Perhaps I should/might try this year ?
With Our Love and Good wishes for 2011!
The boot gnomes peg two welly boots together. To keep them tidy. They would work on shoes as well, as long as the sides of the shoes weren’t too chunky. Why didn’t I take a photo before wrapping it up?!!! A photo would explain it much more clearly. I hope to be making some with the children very soon, so I’ll post up a photo then. Not obvious. I should have explained it better!
Socks are easier than I thought so long as you don’t get distracted. Handmade socks are lovely to wear.
Best wishes for 2011. Hope you are back on your feet. 🙂
What an excellent idea …I get it… and suffering from four pairs of floppy wellies if you don’t mind I’m going to copy :0)
Five in our family, but there are more than five pairs of muddy flopping wellies by the door. I’ve wanted to make these for our collection for a while. Wish I could claim it as my inspirational idea. I seem to remember using the clip-spring clothes pegs on wayward wellies, when I was little. Left plain. Love to see how yours turn out.
I love those mittens. One of my goals for 2011 is to learn to knit socks and I just looked at the link you gave and I think they’re the perfect pattern for me to follow. Thank you!
These are the fastest socks I have knitted. The chunky wool means that, not only can you knit them in next to no time, but they are warm and cosy to wear. Win-win!