Lead Up to Christmas

You might be able to guess from the absolute lack of posts that I haven't had much time for creative things. At the start of the school year I had surgery on my lower back so sitting up right was difficult then the new National Curriculum hit wis with a bang (I am a Maths teacher) and every spare minute was spend developing the course, materials and assessments.

It is now time to try me and dad's cider and it is very nice, dry but I like that.

I have managed to potter with peerie things over the year but disappointed that I still haven't finished my Aztec blanket (goal to finish that by end of January).

I have done another 4 rows but must finish it soon

 

For a few weeks me and the lasses would meet up on a Sunday morning and knit, I made a tea cosy from Smith & Jamieson's book... All that's left is to add a pom pom to the top.

As you may have guessed by now I feel strongly about homemade christmas gifts. I feel that now days people just give gifts because they feel they ought to but I like popping past a friend hoose with a peerie something and knowing that they'll get some joy oot of something I have spent time making. I definately do not do it just to get something back. When I wis a teenager whenever my mam and dad asked me what I wanted for christmas I would say a book, perfume or Lego... And I still do.

Festive fireplace, West End Hotel in Kirkwall

This year I had big plans for the peerie boys gifts (there are 4 of them now this year - congratulations to Gina & Robert on peerie Josie) but time ran away with me and then will be next years plan. Instead I made them some sock toys to keep their zebra's company.

Josie's first christmas gift from me ... A peerie sock teddy

 

Oliver's dad has a farm and on that farm they have a collie, so I made him a sock puppy

I also made Lucas a puppy as they have a beagle called Spencer and thought he'd like another.

Last time at was at Ryan's hoose there cat had gone missing so I made them a sock kitten

I made some christmas vodka for the man who started this craze in my flat, Murray my old flatmate, he would always make raspberry gin and something equally as tasty in the festive season so I thought he would appreciate this.

Making Christmas Pudding Vodka at the same time I made a pumpkin pie

Playing on Pinterest I found instructions for making candles which sounded straight forward and original so I made the lasses cinnamon candles in some beautiful glass tumbler I found. [In my excitement I forgot to take a photo of these so plan to beg one of the girls after Christmas Day]

What do you do in the lead up to Christmas?

Christmas 2012

Christmas Vodka, looked super festive from day dot

 

Christmas this year seemed to appear from no where. I started to panic when I realised I had very little time to make the gifts that I wanted to give folks but I am happy with what I finally produced.

I first started knitting these gloves for my friend Gemma

 as she had said how much she had liked mine the year before

Then I found a recipe for a Spiced Aarancello (Christmas Spiced Vodka) from BBC Good Food App and thought that it would make a nice gift for some of my friends

- My flatmate makes amazing fruit liquors so it was nice to try my hand at something similar

 

As I mentioned back in October, I got a kindle pattern from a craft fair during Wool Week and was keen to make one for my Mam, Ii am really chuffed with the colours etc.

although it is a little on the large side

After the success of last years Christmas Jam I thought I would try my hand at my own recipe, Mulled Pear Jam, I liked how subtle all the flavours were although I would maybe put a little less

 sugar in it next time as it was super sweet.

I know that some people make/sell Christmas Pudding Hats but I thought I would try my own version. My own pattern so, again, proud of the outcome (would also make awesome tea cosies) can't wait to see pictures of the boys in them.

Ii also followed a Kate Davis pattern and knitted this hat for my Dad, thinking to make a girlie one for myself, once I have tackled the socks and jumper.

 

I really recommend homemade gifts, I got one this year (Blackberry Gin from Lynn) and I really appreciated that she has put time and effort into a gift that was for me.

 

Happy Holiday xxx

Peerie Catch -Up Before the Festivities

 

It's been a super busy month with several trips south and me maybe biting off more than I can chew with my homemade Christmas so I'm sorry that my blog has been quiet.

I flew home on Friday even though the world was ending and the weather was doing very little to disprove this.

Finally got my Birthday present from my folks (it was being knitted by Shetland Designers) .. I have worn it all afternoon and think it may be a permanent fixture in my winter wardrobe from now on.

 

My sister and Dave didn't manage to get sooth due to the weather so me and Em had a very nice afternoon making and eating Christmas popcorn and watching the very intellectual film 'Magic Mike'.

 

I was also faced with the welcoming committee who had lots of love and hugs to send my way - except for Meg who has decided that she isn't ready to forgive me for leaving (going back to Orkney)
.

Well I hope everyone has a Super Christmas and New Year and that you get to spend it with the ones you love!!!

... I will blog my Homemade Christmas post as soon as I know everyone has gotten their gifts

Secret Craft Fair Mission

Aamos Design Cupcake Pin Cushions ... beautifully made ;o)

 

It is no secret to Facebook or twitter that my sister Emma, Aamos Designs, has been working her socks off for the past month to make stock for this years Christmas Craft Fair.

Also got to celebrate my cousins recent engagement

... ching ching

I thought that she may appreciate a wee visitor and helper. So I booked a flight home to Shetland to surprise her... And although it was touch and go for a while, we managed to do it.

 

My welcome Party were very happy to see me

I keep forgetting to take cash but I think that was a good thing because I managed to work out a wee list of things I'd like.


Here's some of the beautiful crafts I found ...

I love my red hair slide by Donna Smith Designs

 thinking maybe mustard yellow and navy next

I have always wanted a sheep skin rug, and theses ones

 by Shetland Sheepskin Products  are amazing

 

Hoping to go back in and buy this today, pin cushion by Ella Gordon

 ...LOVE the colour and need it for currently quilting project

 

Of course there were lots of gorgeous Burra Bears

 

Pink Fish Christmas tree decoration, super cute

I may also pop back today for one last look ... Open 11am to 5pm today so pop doon to Clickimin for a look!!!

Shetland Rainbow Tam

 

I had never thought about making a tam until my sister sent me a link to a picture of this tam about a year ago, and I thought it was very bonnie but I didn't think I had the skills to do something so tricky.

Well a couple weekends ago I was home for a flying visit and decided to buy the pattern as it was now in my head and I kinda wanted to try it and see what it would be like.

The only tricky parts were casting on and keeping count (there were 144st) and a few of the new notations, which I got my mam to help with turns out they are straight forward.

Once I started the fair isle I had a little panic as I wasn't sure about putting the blue in the pattern (in future I plan to re-sketch patterns with coloured pens and 1/2 cm square paper) but I was encouraged that it looked good so continued.

 

The pattern is very obvious when you knit it so you don't feel like you have to keep checking the pattern ... Although on the long rounds I do sound a little like rain man.

 

It took me just over a week to complete but I am on holiday so have some spare time to do this.

 

I plan to make more of these in the future as they are so pretty but I better get started on Christmas presents ASAP .... Super exciting!!!

First Couple of Days of the October Holidays ...

Some of the Aamos Designs new styles & colours

 

I am lucky that I came home to Shetland joost in time to catch the end of wool week, I accompanied Emma & Aamos Designs to the a Makers Market at the Town Hall and we had a great time meeting other crafters and people who have travelled far and wide to see what Shetland has to offer.

Emma getting annoyed at my tension

 

The thing I enjoy the most though was spending the day with my sister, her crocheting and me starting to knit my tam & finishing off the squirrel gloves.

Squirrel glove no.2 the ribbed wrist part feels like it takes ages

but once da fairisle starts you are flying

 

Emma's Granny Squares, by the evening she had joined 5 or 6 of them with a purple,

 it looks amazing may have to commission a peice from her.

 

Emma has a couple of new pieces since I wis last along the studios and they are gorgeous... I am a little biased though.

Aamos Designs Overshot Scarf she is going to make blankets like this

I didn't buy much besides coffee and a cupcake but I did get a new pattern by Outi Kater (same lady who made the tam pattern) for Christmas presents but I'm keeping dat one a secret for now.

On sunday I was feeling a little out of sorts but I did manage to finish the

ribbing on my tam, I'm liking the colours so far

New Knitting Project

A fair-isle cardigan my Granny Willa Knitted

 

I am relatively new to knitting fair-isle, I am fortunate enough to come from Shetland where we are taught how to knit throughout primary school. Since dat was a peerie while ago all I could remember was to cast on, knit, pearl and cast off so I set myself the challenge to knit fair-isle.

My Mam is currently knitting a fair-isle jumper for my sister this is her Makin' Bag.

 

In a previous blog I explained how my grandmother and mother knitted fair-isle and I have many memory's of both sitting knitting and chatting as if knitting was second nature and they didn't need to even look at it.

I would love to be able to carry on this tradition, I know my granny would have loved the fact that I had started fair-isle and it is a shame that I never got to do it with her.

 

Me and my sister Emma wi' Mam and Granny

My first project was the fingerless gloves, once I got confident with them I set my self the challenge to knit a Shetland Tam (kind of like a beret) and socks.

 

Well after much discussion about whether or not the wool brokers is open on a Saturday I at least got my sister persuaded to drive past and check. To my delight it was, I meant business going straight to the patterns then the wool (ooops...was a little too excited and forgot the 7th ball of wool)

Here are links to both patterns...

Shetland Tam

Fair-Isle Socks

I discovered that Jamiesons & Smiths have a book called 'Knit Real Shetland' this is definitely going on my Santie (Santa Claus) wish list.