What I've been up to

Awful blogger, promises to make more time, yadda yadda, it's Christmas and you know how it goes:)

So just what have I been up to lately?  Well, truth be told not an awful lot.  After the slightly frantic Christmas last year it's been much more chilled and relaxed this year.  I didn't take any more custom orders than I was comfortable with and they're all very nearly finished now.  I'll be popping all my shops in holiday from the 18th December until the New Year which should give me a few clear days before Chloe finishes school to take care of any little last minute things and generally make the house nice and neat and tidy should anyone rock up to my front door over the holidays and I won't feel like the cleaning elf while everyone else sleeps in front of the telly:)

In the meantime I'll be beavering away as usual;

Working and packing orders

Sewing in anything that even vaguely resembles sunshine;

And making some time for things just for me and the family.  In between wrapping the presents ...

And whipping up a little bit of festive bunting for the kitchen so that it doesn't look like the room that Christmas forgot ...

I've made a new bag just for me, a little more Winter proof than just plain cotton I have to admit I'm quite pleased with it and my new Dottery Pottery bag charm finishes it off nicely.

I whipped up a fat stack of new bandana style bibs for my little (I say little, he's 28) brother's eagerly awaited new arrival ... Edit:  in hospital as we speak, I'm telling you any nails I'd managed to grow have been bitten to the quick this morning!

I also treated myself to a couple of skeins of beautiful yarn from Wharfedale Woolworks and have been busy knitting myself a snuggleddy, strippeddy cowl which I may or may not get finished this side of Christmas.  I hope to.

And I managed to tolerate Chloe's aghast looks that the scarf wasn't for her for a grand total of about 8 minutes before popping on t'internet and letting her choose something for herself.

She went with the plumberry, which is very much the yummiest of all colours but her scarf will definitely not be ready for Christmas.  One for the dark nights curled up in front of the fire with an old movie and a full belly I think.

And I couldn't resist another little skein for myself while I was at it (it would have been rude to just order the one), but I've no thoughts on what to make yet.

I'm open to any ideas, it's a lovely chunky yarn, oh and the colour screams candy corn ... Yes I know we don't have candy corn here but I bought a bag from Harry and David in Vegas over 8 years ago and I totally remember what it looked like ... right before I ate the lot:)

And in my quiet moments, they're precious, few and far between, but they're there to be found if I look hard enough, I'm fiddling and faffing with the pattern for the tri-fold purse to make it a little more blog friendly.