Advent Countdown - Day 31

Happy New Year's Eve.

Day 31.  Over the last month I have written 41 posts and I cannot thank you enough for taking this journey with me, what would be the point if I did not know that you are there reading my idiotic ramblings.

You may be pleased to read that I have run out of that multi-coloured yarn, but my post today is a variation on a theme and I have made a dress with matching jumper and shorts in peach and beige (sorry of the poor picture quality, I think that after taking so many photographs my attention was wandering).

These clothes are made of the usual soft 4 ply cotton using the basic Julie Williams Little Cotton Rabbit patterns - with my own little twist of course.

For the very last time we have our super models, the monkey twins, don't they look smart?

If you have been thinking that for the past few days my friend has been unwrapping, what is basically, the same thing over and over again, you would be both right and wrong.  I have been adding a little something extra in each of her parcels.

Her parcel today also included a small decorated rock ...

... it has a butterfly on the other side but I forgot to take a picture of that!

Thank you so much for being here for me.


Dionne

Baa Baa II

Here I am, back with my second post of the day.

Do you remember the lamb scarves I was making for some of the little girls I know?  Well, there are a lot of little girls and I had to make more.

I found the pattern on the Ravelry website, it is designed by Linda Castles.  The scarves are made of Aran weight yarn, so they are quite chunky and warm.  I think the pom poms on the first lot of scarves I made were a little too large, so this time I made smalled ones (The sharp eyed would have spotted that one scarf in the first photograph was earless, opps!  I have corrected that oversight now.)

I shall be back tomorrow with the final instalment from this year's Advent Calender.


Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 30

Day 30, just one more day of my 2018 Advent adventure.

I have notice that for the last day or two my internet has been getting slower and slower.  At first I thought it was just uploading the photographs for this blog, but then everything started to get noticeably slow.  Uploading these photographs has taken ages.

I have never been a great lover of the colour green, it was the colour of my school uniform - well, one of them, and my school house colour.  However, this multi-coloured yarn comes in some of the prettiest shade of green I have ever seen.

These clothes are made in soft 4 ply cotton. the patterns are basically the Julie Williams Little Cotton Rabbit patterns - but I have added a few variations of my own.  

The twins are doing a fabulous job modelling these outfits, they never stop smiling.

Back tomorrow with the final post in this adventure, I am also planning to return again later with another random post.

Dionne

Fox Stole

I am back with my second post of the day.

I have another hat and scarf combo to share with you today.  I explained a few days ago that when I made the little lamb scarves I wanted to tracked down a scarf pattern for the older children.  This Fox Scarf pattern by Gina Michele came from Ravelry and the Caron Ribbed Hat pattern from Love Knitting.

This time I made the scarf in a rust colour, making it more of like a fox and I added eyes and pointy ears to the hat to make it match the scarf.

I think you could make this scarf in any 'earth colours' and call it a dog if you wanted to make something resembling the family pet.

Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 29

Day 29, the end of this year is rapidly approaching.  Do you celebrate the New Year?

The ,,, I am tempted to say multi-coloured - but when there are lots of shades of one colour, can it be multi-coloured?  Well, today we are considering all things lavender, or could that lilac or even silver grey?

These cute little numbers are made of 4 ply cotton, with a few small tweaks to the Julie Williams Little Cotton Rabbit patterns.

I wonder if the monkey twins now have names?  Well, here they are modelling my version of 50 shades of grey - ish.

Thank you for keeping up with me on this adventure, back later today with another post.


Dionne

Little Lamb

Anyone who has been following me for the past month or so will have realised that I have been very busy with my knitting needles making Christmas presents for family and friends.

I made another of the little lamb scarves a patterns by Linda Castles from the Ravelry website and made a matching at sing the Caron ribbed hat pattern from The Love Knitting website.  I added ears to the hat and a couple of button eyes.

I'll be back in the morning with Day 29 from the Advent Calender collection, please join me.

Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 28

Day 28, this is the first of two posts today.

When I was having such a great time making these cute little outfits for the Little Cotton Rabbit family I never stopped to think what boring posts they would make.  Basically they are they are the same outfits, just in different colours.

So today it is all about the lemons, both soft and at the same time like a ray of pure sunshine.  Made in soft 4 ply cottons to my take on the Julie Williams' Little Cotton Rabbit patterns.

And it just would not be the same without the twins modelling the dress and jumper & shorts combo.

Back later with my second post today.


Dionne

A Sheep in Wolves Clothing?

I am back with my second post of the day.

I have a hat and scarf combo to share with you today.  When I made the little lamb scarves I went on the hunt for a scarf pattern for the older children.  I found this Fox Scarf pattern by Gina Michele on Ravelry and the Caron Ribbed Hat pattern on Love Knitting.

I made the fox scarf in grey, making it more of a wolf than a fox and I added eyes and pointy ears to the hat to make it match the scarf.

When the hat is pulled onto the head, the ribbing stretches sideways making the ears stand away from the head.

I'll be back again tomorrow.

Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 27

For most of us Christmas is now over and a lot of people will be returning to work today but, for me and my friend, Christmas does not mark the end of our Advent presents, we cheat and our calender runs up to the end of the year.

Today her package contains another new set of clothes for her Little Cotton Rabbit friends.  If you look closely you will see that I have been experimenting with that yarn which changes colours, this time it is shades of blue.  I have teamed this 4 ply yarn with a slightly darker solid blue 4 ply cotton and the design is my take on the Julie Williams' Little Cotton Rabbit patterns.

And here we have the two outfits modelled by our good friends, the monkey twins - they are actually the same size, but in this photograph they look like big brother with his little sister.

That's it for this post but there will be more later today.


Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 26

How was your Christmas Day?  Have you noticed how most of us tend to create all sorts of traditions around Christmas, how do you spend your Christmas Day, with family and friends?  Do you have a traditional Christmas dinner?  Do you enjoy a day of peace and quiet on your own, watching TV in your PJs?

My friend and I have a tradition, one which we have been doing for over twenty years now.  Each year, at the beginning of December, we exchange 'Advent Calenders' to mark the end of the year, they contain 31 small, wrapped gifts.  Obviously, we open one present every day.

In recent years I have taken up knitting and I have made my friend a number of teddy bears and rabbits from the Mary Jane's Tearoom range.  So, this year I have made her bears some winter clothes and in the lead up to Christmas my friend has received one article of clothing for her bears Donovan and Daisy (or occasionally something for her Elf on a Shelf, Elvin).  Here are the complete outfits.

(Models supplied by Dee's Craft Room)

I regularly inflict my knitting on my poor friend and over the past year or two I have also made her a number of the little animals from the Little Cotton Rabbits Collection and today her Advent gift is two new outfits for them.  A pretty pink dress and a pair of shorts with a contrasting top.

I enlisted the help of yesterday's Little Cotton Rabbit monkey and Lucy's Little Monkey to model the clothes for us, don't they look cute?

The clothes are made in soft 4 ply cottons to my take on the Julie Williams' Little Cotton Rabbit patterns.

I hope you have a very happy Boxing Day.


Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 25

Merry Christmas everybody!  I hope that you, and your loved ones are enjoying a wonderful Christmas and you received everything from Santa that you had wished for.

Day 25 of my 2018 Advent Calender, Christmas Day always calls for a very special present and this year is no exception.  Hands up who remembers Lucy's Little Monkey?  I have been keeping a secret about Lucy's Monkey, she is a twin.

'Monkey Girl' is one of Julie William's patterns from her 'Little Cotton Rabbits' range, which is available from Ravelry.

The little monkey is made with the softest alpaca Double Knit wool and the briefs and shoes are made with cotton 4 ply yarn.

These little monkeys even have prehensile tails to help them swing through the trees.

Just like her sister, this little girl has the sweetest tiny shoes, which  have cute little buttons to keep them on their feet.

And just to prove that there are two of them, here they are together in their identical outfits.

Take a bow ladies!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the holidays.


Dionne 

The Last Six Christmas Cards

Second post of the day.

As it is Christmas Eve, I thought I should make sure the last of my Christmas cards are posted today.  I say the last but I actually made a lot more cards then those you have seen but, as I bought several packs of the same kit cards this years there were 6 of each design and I did not want to send you to sleep looking at the same images over and over.

These kit cards came from Hunkydory  each kit contains everything you need to make the cards - printed card, main image, 2 sentiments, 2 tags, 2 decorative strips, an handmade by label, foam spacers and envelopes.  Things like twine, paper flowers, gems and the wooden reindeer and Santa charms are all from my stash.  

After these photographs were taken I went back and added Flower Soft Polar White to the snow and the white fur trims.  I also stamped a sentiment inside each card.

Elvin the Elf on the Shelf is busy packing his bags because it is time for him to go home and report to Santa. So, it is time to say goodbye to Elvin, he has grabbed his plain hat for tomorrow and has to go home now and help Santa.  Bye Elvin, it has been fun seeing you in your various outfits.

I suspect you may be a little busy over the next few days and you will have better things to do than visiting my blog, so I should like to take this opportunity to wish you, and your family, a very happy Christmas and New Year.  Call again soon.

Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 24

Hooray, it is Day 24 of our Advent adventure and the final part of the Christmas outfits, which I made for my BFF's knitted Teddy bears.

It is a brand new hat for Santa and it is just in time for him to go off in his sleigh tonight (Did you manage to work out what item was missing?)

The hat is based on the pattern for Mary Jane's Tearoom Bo Rabbit.  It is made in Anchor 4 ply cotton yarn.  This hat complete Santa's outfit, if you missed any of my posts, here are the links to his tunic, trousers, pants and shoes.

I think Elvin the Elf has been having a hectic time recently, yesterday he was spotted putting his feet up with his buddy.

Although today is Christmas Eve, when traditionally Advent Calenders come to an end, this one does not, there is another week of presents still to come.  So don't forget to come back to see what they were.

I shall be back this afternoon, with my second post of the day.  Please join me if you can.


Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 23

It is Day 23 of our time together sharing this year's Advent presents.  I have waited so long to share this photograph with you.

I am sure you would have worked out that this is final element of the of my reindeer inspired outfit.  It all started with the holly motif knickers, which reminded me of antlers.  I made a pair of knickers knitting the holly leaves in brown and adding a red bead to represent Rudolf's nose.  Then I made the beanie hat (which I shared with you on Day 13).  This repeated the antler motif and here we have the jumper with mirror reindeer images - complete with red noses.

The jumper is made of soft cream and brown 4 ply cotton yarn, it is my own variation of the Mary Jane's Tearoom pumper pattern.  Along this journey you would have spotted both the skirt and shoes which match this jumper.

Meantime, naughty Elvin the Elf is up to no good again, yesterday he was caught hiding in the flower vase .....

Please join me tomorrow for the final part in this jig saw, have you worked out what it is yet?


Dionne

Advent Countdown - Day 22

Day 22 of this Advent countdown, how are you holding up?  I have a whole new respect for people who blog everyday, it is not easy to think of something different every time.

I suspect that somewhere there is an elf with very chilly legs, the wind can blow something wicked in their part of the country and wandering around without your trousers is no joke.

There are no trousers in the Mary Jane's Tearoom repertoire, so I had to design my own.  These elf trousers are slightly different to the ones I made for Santa, these are all one colour and have a picot hem to match the tunic and hat.  As usual, I made the trousers in 4 ply Anchor cotton yarn.

These trousers complete the elf outfit, if you missed any of my posts, here are the links to the tunic, hat, knickers and shoes.

I have a quick progress report on the adventures of Elvin the Elf on a Shelf, over the last couple of days he has been getting himself into all sorts of places he shouldn't be in  ....

Have a wonderful weekend.

Dionne