So it's December

Bit late blogging this week because I just didn't feel like it on the weekend. We were relatively busy gallivanting around various Christmas fairs, plus a trip to the Northampton Library to look at census records from 1881-1901 to research the history of our house.

A couple of finishes since the last post.  I felted my Lett Lopi Felted Slippers and they came out just the right size. I am so pleased with them, they are incredibly comfy and cosy so I am wearing them every night. I would like to knit some more pairs but would have to find a British yarn to substitute. I embroidered the snowflake design on freehand before I felted the slippers.

I also finished my Bethlehem Stained Glass Wallhanging.  I added a thin pocket along the top of the back to take a rod to keep it straight, and sewed on two hemmed strips so that I can hang it from a door. I'm going to staple the strips onto the top of the door where it won't show, so the wallhanging is suspended on the face of the door.  The size is about 27 inches square.

As mentioned last week, I finished the first of the Arne and Carlos vanilla socks although it's not blocked yet.  In commuter knitting, I have gotten as far as just past the afterthought heel mark on the second sock.

On Thursday on my day off, I spent the morning cleaning and repairing a dollshouse that used to belong to a dear friend who has passed.  I then furnished the rooms with items from hers and my stashes, and on Saturday we dropped it into a grateful charity shop who said it is the perfect time of year to have a furnished dollshouse on sale. Hopefully some little girl (or boy) is going to be very happy to receive it this Christmas.

I also finished the first bobbin lace Christmas star. It's about five inches high and is worked in DMC 40 crochet cotton. I stiffened it with fabric stiffener but it doesn't want to stay flat.  I've started a second one for the in-laws but with much less enthusiasm, I don't generally enjoy repeating projects.

Not been as much Netflix going on this week but I did do some more handquilting on my cushion cover, I'm about halfway now.  I've also done a bit more on my Now in a Minute shawl, but unfortunately in between putting it down and picking it up again, I apparently forgot how to do the patterning so now I need to drop down one stitch in the lace edging about 100 rows to pick it up again as garter stitch. Fun fun fun. And it's next to a yarnover. I also forgot to put yarnovers in some of the purl rows at the top edge but that can't be fixed without pulling out several hours of short rowing.  That's not as obvious, it just means the top edge isn't as stretchy in that place.

Work is going fine, I'm in my third week of training and I think I'm managing to keep up. We have our first formal assessment this week so hopefully I will do ok.  I do really miss being able to surf the web in between work batches (absolutely forbidden and monitored by IT) because that used to be my reward and my relaxation. We're not allowed to look at our phones while we're at our desks either. On the other hand, flexitime is fantastic and I'm getting home 45 minutes earlier than I used to.

Are you making anything crafty for Christmas?