Wednesday 3 December 2014

More Christmas Gifts

First I'd like to say welcome to new followers and thank everyone for their lovely comments. A few have asked for the washcloth pattern so I'll get that done as soon as I can.
 
I wanted to make something a bit special for a special girl so here's what I've done; a tam, a scarf and a rose brooch. The tam is the same as my black one (see here) but is done using Stylecraft's new Alpaca DK yarn which is 80% acrylic and 20% alpaca. I've used the Orchid, a lovely soft pink, for the tam and worked it with the King Cole Cosmos yarn to give it all the sparkle.
 
Aside 1: In Northern Ireland, all females are called girls, regardless of age.
Aside 2: If you looked back at the link above you will also have seen a hat I knit for the husband. Well I wasn't happy with it so I ripped most of it back and did it again. It now looks much better. The husband didn't mention a thing about it because he says he knew I would find it so annoying that I would eventually fix it!
 
 
Ingrid showed us the Queen Anne's lace scarf on her blog a while back. I really liked it so decided to give it a go. The pattern is easy to learn and works up really quickly. With the Stylecraft Alpaca Orchid yarn, I used Stylecraft Alpaca Tweed DK, which is 20% alpaca, 77% acrylic and 3% viscose, in Emperor and Plum. Starting with the Orchid, I worked sections of ten fans in each colour and made a total of ninety fans. This made the scarf quite long so it can be wrapped round several times.



As a little finishing touch I made this rose from my 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet book by Lesley Stanfield. I crocheted a small circle to cover the back, where the rose is coiled up, and added a brooch pin.


For the gifts above I had bought two balls of the Orchid (and I still have more than half a ball left) and a ball each of the Emperor and Plum. So I made two more Queen Anne scarves; one using the Plum and the other using the Emperor. I crocheted until there wasn't enough yarn left to make another fan. Here are the results ...



I think they look really nice and the yarn feels very soft and warm. These will be given along with the washcloths I told you about in my last post. Ah! There were three washcloths in the last post and there are only two scarves. That's because I'm weaving a third scarf on my peg loom. Hopefully it will soon be finished and I can let you see it too.

It's beginning to look a little bit like Christmas now. Just a bit. Even though I've been making gifts and decorations for a while now, I still didn't feel at all Christmassy. I didn't tell you about baking my cakes, did I? Every year I bake two Christmas cakes. One is a standard rich fruit cake and the other is based on the same recipe but using more exotic dried fruits such as pineapple, coconut, mango and whatever else takes my fancy. I'd better stop talking about cake!! It's making me hungry and it's too soon to tuck into Christmas cake just yet.

Hope you are all having fun making for Christmas or out shopping for Christmas. Bye for now.

23 comments:

  1. They're absolutely beautiful. You're going to have some very happy recipients on Christmas morning. I love the colours you've chosen too.

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  2. Hi Gillian! Such wonderful makes! I really like the little tam and the sparkly rose brooch! And your versions of the Queen Anne's Lace Scarf look great in these colours!!! Well done!!!
    Gosh, you have been very busy! And baking cakes??!!! ;)
    I'm enjoying spending this week with my son who is visiting from England! :)
    Have a good week!
    Ingrid xx
    http://myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

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  3. ALL of your makes are beautiful!!! I love the colours and the little sparkles!! They will make beautiful gifts and I am sure that the recipients will love them. Your two cakes sound delicious, I like the idea of the tropical one alongside the traditional, how great is that!! xx

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  4. Wow, you have been so busy and your makes are beautiful ! What lovely gifts to receive!!! Your cakes sound delish, I love fruitcake. Tastes great with a cup of tea. Yum!! I know what you mean about some knitting you don't like, sooner or later I will rip it out and do it again. I will think about it for too long till it starts to drive me bugs!!

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  5. These are so nice - delicate and feminine - I'm already matching them to outfits in my mind :-)
    Amalia xo

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  6. The colors are just perfect ! What so lovely gifts you are making .....

    http://woolandcats.blogspot.fr/

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  7. What a wonderful set, I'm sure your friend will love it! : )
    How nice to read we creative girls are all busy crafting presents, makes me feel a bit more Christmassy (just like you, I don't feel much so, but I'm beginning to...)!
    Wish you a lovely day! xx

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  8. That worked out very lovely indeed! I am so impressed how many gifts you (already) finished!

    Take care
    Anne (Crochet Between Worlds)

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  9. Hello. First time reading your blog today. I haven't gotten very far but I am loving the rose pin. I love the softness of it and the little sparkles. I can't wait to read more :)
    Shan

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  10. The Queen Anne Scaf is every time again fine and I like the soft colours of yours (like heather). Have made one some years ago and now you remind me to do it again. Really all beatyfull handmade presents!
    Have a good time, Birgit

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  11. Hi Gillian, I saw your comment at Teresa kasner's blog and came to visit you and I'm so glad I did ...love your makes for Christmas ...I'm sure there will be a lot of "lucky ones" getting your gifts this year. Have a wonderful Christmas season . I'm off to look at a few more of your posts and I have just joined you :)

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    1. Thanks for joining in - lovely to meet you.

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  12. I love all the makes in this post, they will be such wonderful gifts for the lucky recipients! The little hat is an adorable shape, and the colours are so soft and pretty.
    Happy December, Gillian.
    Helen xox

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  13. They're all really beautiful. Lucky girls those recipients are. :)

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  14. Hi Gillian - Your work is absolutely beautiful! The scarves look so delicate - I love the colors. They're so soft looking.

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  15. Everything you have made is wonderful. I have made a million Queen Anne's Lace Scarf and I love each and every one of them. It is interesting how different yarn makes them look so different.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  16. What lovely presents, Gillian. Your garden is looking good in the background too.

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  17. Good morning Gillian,
    I haven't been to blogland for a couple of weeks due to several illnesses but now I try to catch up a little. You have written so many posts since I last visited your blog. Amazing! And all the things you crocheted meanwhile, the scarfs and bonnets and wash cloths - all so beautiful. I think I would like to try the pattern of the Queen Anne's lace scarf, as well. I am sorry to hear about your car, it is always tedious to spend precious time with broken cars or looking for a new one. I just want to have a car that is running, for me a car is just a vehicle that helps me to get from one place to another. Hope you have no more trouble. Have a nice week, Viola

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comment. I'm glad you're feeling better. I need to get caught up with other blogs now too. My husband's car needs a new spring - it broke at the weekend!

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  18. Love the scarves and the hat!

    I'm so jealous of all that green in the background!

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    1. It's only green because it rains so much!

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  19. Hello Gillian,
    Very nice creations. You'll be warm while the cold winter days.
    Wonderful to see how you've made these all so well.

    Kind regards,
    Marco

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  20. Well done on having so many gifts finished in time for Christmas. I am not that organised and wish I could be.
    That Queen Anne's Lace pattern is so popular and your version has a lovely palette.
    That Lesley Stanfield flower book is such a useful book. I have that one too.
    I am sure your gift recipients will be delighted with your pretty crochet work.

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