Mittens and candy canes

I haven't been posting much recently as I can't :( I am taking part in some secret exchanges and so all my new stuff can't be shown just in case the person they are intended for sees them.

I have however been busy ferreting away with other stuff too including going and getting myself a new job woohoo. I am really looking forward to getting in the workforce again after being a stay at home mum for so long.

I have made some candy canes as a practice for Christmas. Here is how to make them. 

You will need:

One packet of ready made regal icing

Peppermint flavouring, red and green food colouring paste

soften your icing by kneading it until soft and pliable.

Add peppermint flavouring to taste I like mine quite strong and so used a lot, if the icing starts to become sticky add some icing sugar to firm up again.

Half the icing leaving half white, half the other half and colour one section green and the other red

When you have finished you should end up with something looking like this

 make a sausage of white and a thinner one of a colour

Twist together and roll to seal them together.

Put them onto a wire rack to dry out over night. store in a sealed container until required, they can last for months as long as they remain airtight.

you will end up with something like the ones below 

I have also made some mittens to go with the girls matching sets for Christmas. I couldn't find a pattern that would work for all three sets and so I came up with on of my own using a few other patterns I found. here is the result and underneath is the pattern.

Cast on 34 stitches using 4.5mm needles

row 1 knit 2 purl 2 to end

row 2 purl 2 knit 2 to end

repeat these two rows 9 times so you have 18 rows altogether

row 19 k2, p2

row 20 k2, p2, k2, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, p1, k2, p2, k1, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, p2,k2,p2, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k1, p2, k2, p1 increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k2, p2, k2. (you should now have 38 stitches)

row 21 knit to end repeat 5 more times

row 27 k18, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k18

row 28 knit to end

row 29 k20, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k20

row 30 knit to end

row 31 k21, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k21

row 32 knit to end

row 33 k22, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back,increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k22

row 34 knit to end

row 35 k23, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back k23

row 36 knit to end

row 37 k24, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k24

row 38 knit to end

row 39 (you should now have 52 stitches) k18, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, slip the next 14 stitches on to a stitch holder, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k18.

(leave the 14 stitches on holder as this is thumb)

At this point things change for each pair you are making as you only need to go as high as the top of the little finger for the person you are making for. measure from the top of the ribbing to the top of the little finger before starting to decrease. just knit each row to end to the required length.

to start decrease, 

row 1 knit 2 together, k8 repeat to end

 row 2 knit to end

row 3  knit 2 together, k7 repeat to end

row 4 knit to end

row 5  knit 2 together, k6 repeat to end

row 6 knit to end

row7  knit 2 together, k5 repeat to end

row 8 knit to end

row 9 knit 2 together, k4 repeat to end

row 10 knit to end

row 11 knit 2 together, k3 repeat to end
row 12 knit to end
row 13 knit 2 together to end
row 14 knit to end
row 15 cast off

For the thumb
Pick up the 14 stitches
row 1 increase one stitch by knitting into front and back, k12, increase one stitch by knitting into front and back,
row 2 - 10 knit to end
row 11 knit 2 together to end
cast off

Make up by sewing the seam along one side and on the thumb.

One last thing before I go is my TUSAL report which I am very late for :(

What a week

This week I have mainly been trying to crochet. I have never done it before but I thought it would be a good idea to learn as I could then crochet the hats for the girls for Christmas. I have decided to give it up as a bad job though lol here are the more recognisable attempts at it.

 

 

As you can see not great, I am struggling to get the tension right. 

Don't get me wrong I won't give up trying to do it but I just don't think that I have time to master it and get everything done for Christmas. Maybe next year crochet gifts will feature heavily...but then maybe not lol.

In other news, I have been suffering this week with migraines and so haven't done much else.

In cross stitch I have finished Santa,

Day 2

 Day 3

 Before the magic of back stitch

 With the magic of back stitch

I have also had some help with my Christmas stitching from my other half, 

 However, I can't use it bless him as he has not kept the stitches in the right way :(

But I think you can agree, that he did a fantastic job for a beginner.

I have started a Boofle piece that I got with a copy of World of Cross Stitch magazine. Here he is,

Though I forgot to buy the ecru colour I need for the piece so will work around it until I need to buy some new threads. As I'm sure I have said before I refuse to but a single thread as it costs too much lol.

I have also completes Kerry's scarf for Christmas,

This looks great. but it took longer to do hers than the other two put together. It is a basic garter stitch scarf so I can't understand why. It also used up a full ball of yarn where the other two only used up half. How strange.

Anyway, off to try get some more bits made, speak soon.

Knitting a scarf (with instructional videos)

For Christmas this year we are doing a handmade Christmas  This means that all gifts are handmade. The children are really looking forward to seeing what Santa will be bringing them and eagerly thinking of what they can make as gifts, so watch this space for all our makings.

Emily has been after a hand knitted scarf for ages now and so I have decided to give her one for Christmas, and of course once one wants something the rest follow and so now all three girls are wanting scarfs. So I thought about it and I have decided to make them all a hat glove and scarf set in the colours of their choice.

Emily wants purple, so please watch the video below to see how to do it.

Unfortunately the camera is on the wrong side so to watch you will have to tilt your head :( If anyone knows how I turn it please tell me

This one shows casting on and basic knit stitch

This shows casting off

This shows casting on, knit stitch and purl stitch

This shows how to cast off in purl stitch

And here is Emily's finished scarf.

And this is Jessica's

Oh no so not fair

I could cry, I really could. I have been working on 'The Wedding' and guess what...with just 112 stitches to go I ran out of the thread I needed :(

I refuse to order just one thread and I don't know what colours I will need for other projects and so I will not be finishing this one for a little while now well until I reorder the thread I need.

So here is where I got to.

Day 33

Day 34

Day 35

There they are those pesky 112 stitches, taunting me.

Ah, well move on. I started another piece for the Xmas list.

This one is from The World of Cross Stitch magazine issue, 156

Day 1

 Day 2

Without the magic backstitch.

With the magic of backstitch, and some awful French knots. I am sooo bad at them.

I love the way a simple black line really brings the picture to life.

In other news, I have been quite ill recently and to my hubby's delight I lost my voice, I can tell you I wasn't very pleased as I couldn't stitch while I was so ill. There I was all tucked up in bed without the energy to lift my hoop.

I went to a council meeting last night too and as yet my voice is not fully recovered and so I couldn't really speak properly, but my Policeman had asked me to bring up several points and I couldn't let him down now could I? Anyway, after I had struggled to speak for 10 minutes, I covered all the points he wanted me to make and then guess what?? He turned up in his civvies and I must admit he was still quite hot in them but not as much as when in uniform. I thought it was poor form of him and had he turned up just 10 mins earlier he could have saved my abused voice. (* please note I conduct the business between him and the council with complete professionalism and would treat him exactly the same as any one else, this is just a bit of fun. It's always nice to have something pretty to look at. I just wanted to make that clear just in case)

I am looking forward to the weekend, as not only are the children all staying out over night Saturday, but I am also dog sitting for a friend. Her dog Pip and my dog, Benji love each other and can't leave each other alone so that will be fun, well until the tip tapping of paws on floor really starts to irritate.

OK I'm off to find something else to stitch. Speak soon x

Getting Prepared

Jessica has had an accident this weekend :( She was playing in her Grandmas garden when she fell down some steps and did this.

My poor baby, apparently she barely cried, my kids are hard as nails lol.

I also had the shock of my life the other night too, now my pets can not stand each other well Ceefer the cat hates the dog, Benji just wants to play. However in a first ever they spent 4 whole hours like this

I was happy they were so comfortable together.

I have been looking in to what gifts we will be making for the adults in the family. I have now decided what we will be making. I have also been looking up options to help etc. I have found a recipe for home made glue stuff, which I have made up a batch and will see how it works.

One of the gifts (2 people are getting the same gift) require 5 glass bottles and so I have been searching all over for glass bottles as I will need 10 altogether. I need a size 250ml one and so I have been looking on Amazon and Ebay and all blooming over I also went around all my local shops to see if anyone sold something like what I wanted. So after killing 3 hours in this fruitless task all the ones I found were too expensive for my tastes I struck upon an idea. Asda sell bottles of olive oil, in the size that I need. So I have decided to buy 10 from there. Not only does this work out cheaper than buying empty bottles but I also end up with loads of olive oil :D I have decided that this extra oil I will now have will be the perfect gift for some foodie friends, as I am going to infuse them with flavours and put them into bottles as gifts too. (I know I will have to get more bottles but I think I will use the Asda bottles again and use that oil in my cooking) OK OK long winded way of doing it decanting oil from here to there and back again but I know what I mean lol.

So, now in my head I know what is being made for whom and can now get a calendar organised for getting everything done. Woohoo, I'm much more prepared this year than any other year!!

Ok the meeting season has started once again and so many of my evenings have been taken up with council business, (tonight being a highlight for me as it was with a rather handsome police officer, yummy, no officer I don't mind at all that the meeting ran over, now what were you saying before I lost myself in your eyes??lol) but I have managed to get some stitching done too. Here is my day by day updates.

Day 29

Day 30

Day 31

Day 32

This is as far as I have gotten, as you can see it is almost finished now another week or so and it will be done yay me!

It is also TUSAL time again so here it is

Anyway time for bed for me speak soon x

Sunday Dinner yummy

We went to MIL today for Sunday dinner on Monday, as she wasn't here to do one on Sunday. We didn't know this plan until I was half way through cooking mine so we have had a Sunday dinner two days in a row. I can tell you I didn't eat much today as I was still stuffed from yesterday. My SIL then decided to 'do' a barbeque and so we went there for our tea. I managed to eat half of a hot dog and I was stuffed. All I really wanted to do was get home and get stitching, how sad is that lol.

Well as promised, here is my Great Grandma Churmes stuffing recipe.

4 slices of bread made into bread crumbs

one onion finely sliced

fry off onion

in a large mixing bowl add bread crumbs, sage and the fried onions mix well.

add two eggs and mix until all is combined

spread flat and bake until golden brown

I must say it is delish!!

My yorkshire puddings came out amazing as per usual. Here is my method.

 Equal amounts egg, flour, and milk.

I use one of my prep bowls full to the top.

Whisk until smooth (takes about 1 min for me)

full each well in your stone muffin pan to 1/3 full. With the stone you don't need oil or to heat it up first!! do it from cold.

This is what they will look like when cooked. 

I forgot to take a pic of our cheesecake and of the meat so I won't put them up till next time I do them :)

I haven't done much on 'The Wedding' at all really as I have been cooking up a storm, and I got a migraine so went to bed early :(

Here is where I am up to

I know it doesn't look like much has been done, but here is the chart before and after the stitches I have done.

As you can see the one on the right is coloured in more in the top right corner than the one on the left. As  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  and Jade were stitching more on 'The Wedding' I decided to make a start on one of my Christmas stitches. I am starting a Margaret Sherry design of a mouse and robin. Here is where I am up to.

I am going to get a bit more done now so speak soon x