December 2018 – Love Charlie

So its that time of year again… We’re almost done running around like headless chickens, faffing around with Holiday preparations, and all we really want to do is sit down and crochet (or knit, or spin, or weave or sew… you get my point) This year, Fay @crochet_circle_podcast and I are hosting another Christmas Eve CAL. Crochet along… Craft along… your choice 🙂 Any yarn related craft is welcome.

A Christmas Eve CAL is where you start a new project using yarn that you’ve saved for a special project or received for Christmas. The trick is to let your loved ones know that you want to open any yarn presents a day early 😉 It is important to take a moment for yourself over the festive period, whether you have time off work or not – after spending the past weeks, if not months preparing gifts and handmade presents, buying, cleaning, tidying, wrapping, cooking and baking – Everything should be finished with and out of the way (unless you’re like me and still have presents to make in January) After working so hard, we all deserve some yarny, squishy goodness.

The CAL starts on Christmas Eve, and if you’re very excited to start a new project you can stay up and start 1 minute past midnight. I did last year, and I might try to do the same this year.

The CAL will be taking place across Instagram and Ravelry. Use the hashtag #ChristmasEveCAL on Instagram so we can see your makes, and follow the hashtag so you can make new friends and see what everyone else is making over Christmas.

Chatter and FO threads are over on my Ravelry group… Click here for the Chatter Thread, and here for the FO thread.

So what projects will you start?

I’ll be working on two projects for myself over the Christmas break. One of them I have already started – I started on Thursday evening at woolgathering. A new pair of socks using Vicki Brown sock yarn in Hendricks and Flamingos. I am in living for these colours and I am love how my project bag matches. I also treated myself to a pin from Sharon @mycrochetmakes and it matches perfectly; as though the three were made for each other.

I am making contrasting toes, cuffs and heels, using @Winwickmum‘s basic sock pattern. The main colour is Hendricks, and the contrast will be Flamingos. I will then be able to make a pair using Flamingos as the main colour.

But this isn’t my ‘real’ Christmas Eve project. On Christmas Eve, I will be starting Arria by Fay. I will be using Riverknits yarn in Eve’s Birthday. (Just a coincidence) This project has been in my queue for a while, and what better time to start than a time when we have time to rest and relax. I am really excited about starting.

Arria on Ravelry

The yarn I have for this is beautiful! And I chose colours that didn’t contrast so much as I want the triangle feature to be subtle. I can’t even begin to describe how pretty this colour way is, the photo really isn’t doing it justice.

I can’t wait to see what you will be making. Please share on Ravelry or Instagram 😀 I also can;t guarantee that I will not start another project over the Christmas break. Hahaa, I can’t control myself.

I will be writing a blog post soon sharing some of our Christmas traditions, and some of the things I like to do at Christmas time. I don’t know whether it will be before or after Christmas, so have a lovely holiday everyone.

Merry Christmas!

Love Charlie, Xx

I can’t quite believe how quickly November came and went, and I seriously enjoyed every minute of WIPvember! I enjoyed co-hosting this WIP-along with the fabulous Hannah @andintothetrees, Zahra @tinyanaesthetist and Caroline @poppyseedsbeads, who are all so lovely and kind. I was astounded by the amount of people who participated and even more overwhelmed by the amount of WIPs everyone managed to make progress on and finish.

I know I made so much more progress during November than I would have done if we hadn’t started #WIPvember – and even more importantly, I managed to abstain from starting any new projects (Apart from the two that I had to start) And although I have the urge to start many new projects, I also have a bug for productivity, and I want to go into December with the same attitude, and continue to finish off and make progress on my existing WIPs before the end of the year. However – I do have a few ‘Christmas’ presents to start (with the the intention of finishing in January)

feedback — Hannah @andintothetrees asked what everyone’s favourite part of WIPvember was? How sweet are these replies?

WIPvember created a lovely, supportive community of crafters and I think what was so fantastic about it was that everyone was concentrating on the same goal. The diversity of projects was also amazing… from hats, and socks, mittens, blankets, cardigans, scarfs, and embroidery to man eating flowers! Yes I typed that right 😉 Crochet, knitting, needlepoint and sewing.

Hannah @andintothetrees weekly collage – Week 1

I loved that there was no prize for this MAL, and it was only people’s enthusiasm and love of craft that drove them to participate. There was so much support surrounding every single post and it’s heart warming to see our community spreading so much love and encouragement.

Each of us took a week to look through your #WIPvember posts and create grids of projects. I will share those throughout this blog post. I absolutely loved scrolling through everyone’s pictures and reading how people were preparing for Christmas and progressing through their WIPs.

So I started out with 10 WIPs… and I’ve ended up with 7. I finished 2 blankets, finished a shawl and a pair of socks, and started an amigurumi cat. I also decided to frog two of my WIPs, as I wasn’t feeling the love or enthusiasm anymore.

My finished Cosy Stripe blanket. Just look at that edging! 🙂

Unfortunately I didn’t even touch my Criss Cross Shawl by Fay Dashper-Hughes but I will definitely be trying to finish this after I have a few Christmas gifts made. I did finish my Cosy Stripe blanket, which I wasn’t expecting. I am so pleased with this blanket, and haven’t stopped wrapping myself up in it since I finished it.

Zahra @tinyanaesthetist weekly collage – Week 3

I’m not going to lie though, the urge to start new WIPs throughout November was strong! And what made it worse was seeing everyone else’s amazing WIPs. God knows how many new projects I’ve added to my queue on Ravelry throughout #WIPvember! Hahaa. One project that is really going to get cast on pretty soon is the Wheat scarf by tincanknits, and it’s allowed because it’ll become a (late) Christmas present. I saw @robsramblings WIP and fell in love. I know exactly who I’m going to make it for…

Caroline @poppyseedsbeads weekly collage – Week 4

Which brings me to December’s list. Although I won’t be so strict with my WIPs through December, I still have projects that I have to make, and ones that I’d like to make more progress on. I have a list of shawls that I have to make for people but they don’t necessarily have to be ready for Christmas. I do need to finish the Amigurumi Cat ASAP so that will be a priority, along with my Christmas Candy Cane socks. I wanted to make a couple of Christmas dog Jumpers for my Mother & Father-in-Law’s dogs but I have run out of time.

December WIP List : –

One more heel flap and gusset to go, then I am on the home stretch… or should I say toe stretch?

There are more WIPs on this WIP list than I had on my #WIPvember WIP list – but I also have some time off over Christmas, and I want to be a bit more relaxed with goals this month. Last month I had an extremely busy month at work, and often didn’t get the time to work on projects when I usually would have. On the other hand, December is going to be filled with Christmas traditions and meeting up with friends, so who knows what I’ll achieve… I am excited to finish my Candy Cane Christmas socks… I’m going to put a ribbon and jingle bell on the ribbing 😀 And I am excited to get rid of the Cat commission. What I a mostly excited about though, is caking up my @vickibrowndesigns Hendricks sock yarn and getting started on another pair of socks. This was the FIRST thing that I bought at Yarndale 2018 and I am sooo excited. I am loving socks because I can use a special skein of yarn for each pair, and not only do they they allow me to try out new dyers and colourways without breaking the bank, but I am finding that my knitting skills are improving so much that my confidence with knitting is on the rise!

I hope you are all enjoying getting into the festive spirit as much as I am. Our tree went up on the 24th November, and we’ve already cracked open the mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. The seal on the Roses tin is broken, and we will soon be making our annual Christmas gin for friends and family. I am so loving feeling the warmth and coziness of Christmas this year in our new home. The candles are all lit, and there isn’t a chair without a homemade blanket. Anyway, that’s my brief Christmas excitement out of the way. (I’ll write a proper Charlie Christmas blog post soon)

Love Charlie, Xx