Catching up

Having resolved various creative issue from last week, I'm back on track and feeling that excitement that happens on the cusp of advent! Only a month until Christmas...am I allowed to say that now?

I have been holding off getting excited about Christmas until now really, waiting and biding my time before I release the full squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! As families do, we have carved our own Christmas traditions the past three Christmasses. On the first weekend, we'll watch Christmassy movies and put up the decorations, then schedule in chutney making (for gifts) and of course Christmas baking.

I have already started making gifts, and finished my sister's chunky cowl and knitted wristwarmers (which I previewed last week). I plan to make another of those lovely cowls (for whom I do not know, but I have some lovely green chunky yarn just right for it), plus various tea cosies, purses and children's toys to make. In the meantime, I had purse mishap last week, so I made myself a new one.

I just used the crochet purse pattern from Cute and Easy Crochet, then lined it with some fabric I got at the Knitting and Stitching show. I think it is called something like 'antique treasures', and the teal and orange looks fab with the mustard yarn I crocheted the purse with. I made the sloppy-looking button hole by hand with some embroidery floss, then used an East of India ribbon to decorate, rather than the flowers in the book. The button is a vintage number, and the yarn is the Rico Aran I bought at Loop that didn't match my dress WIP.

I love it!

Also, I was distracted yesterday by my small stash of Sublime Baby Cashmere/Silk/Merino DK, picked up from Loop and The Cheap Shop.

How could I not be distracted? It has become the beginnings of a ripply masterpiece, perfect for a baby that is due in January. It was a tricky little blighter to start- with a precise foundation chain and first few rows needing concentration. But now I'm on a roll! The baby shower is in two weeks, but I doubt the ripply blanket will be ready by then, so it will be a present for the actual birth. Can't wait to show it to my friend's bump later and see what it thinks! As usual, I've been thinking ahead and buying more wool for a project I have been saving for a long time. I am going to wait until the new year to begin a ripply odyssey- a Rowan Cashsoft Chunky Ripple Blanket. I have managed to find three new colours that I have introduced the already bulging bag...the blanket will be epic!

However, there are christmas and baby makes to think about.

Speaking of Christmas makes, there are a few things I have been meaning to share with you all week...

Yes it's magazine time again! These four are my favourites of the year, and I was pleased to see that Lucy over at Attic24 has also been showing us some magazine loving. Shall we begin?

Ahhhh my favourite magazine of the year. It is just the perfect Mollie Makes issue, and the ultimate Christmas craft inspriation. Tilda toys, Scandinavian delights and plenty of fabulous styling- I loved Happy Harris's Christmas shoot! Maximalist, retro style perfect for good ol' blighty.

Embroidery, felties, stockings, dolls...it has everything.

As does this little beauty! Prima Christmas Makes. What a find! Some fab knitting patterns, styling ideas (from Selina Lake whom I love) and of course loads of gifts ideas and makes...

 Sadly, the light in my house is terrible, so I have used the 'Instant' function on the CameraBag app to take this. I love the retro filter the app gives, and strangely enough they accurately convey the tones of the yarn I have been using this week. Really, I shouldn't be so lazy and just use my regular camera. Although, to be honest I have fallen out with my camera. It just doesn't live up to its price tag, and I find it difficult to manually set up the shots, and rarely get the results I want. Grrrr. I'd love a proper camera, or even a decent digital every day camera, but there is physically nothing wrong with mine, so it'd be impossible to justify buying a new one. I will just have to learn how to get along with it.

Anyway, here are the cover of the other two mags I am loving....

In fact, I think I will retreat with a cuppa and get stuck into them properly right now...it is, after all, only a month until the big day...