You can tell the nights are drawing in....

[debih]

My craft projects are starting up again.

I have got "the blanket" back out of retirement and actually done five squares. I really need to get on with this. I have been doing it now for at least 3 years and am only half way through it. I love knitting three quarters of the squares (striped ones and plain ones) but the others (the flowered ones) I detest. Far too many balls of wool on the go and I have to really concentrate on what I am doing. I am almost at the end of the middle strip of squares, which alternate with a striped square and a flower square and when I finish that I have a whole strip of just stripes and plain squares to do - I'll whiz through that one!

I've also started knitting for Christmas. I am doing little stockings that will be used as part of my table decoration to hold the cutlery. Thats the plan anyway. They look nice on the pictures I've seen on pinterest but if I finish the first one and it looks naff then I won't bother!

I'm also intending on making all my own cards this year. I bought some blank cards and envelopes from ebay and the girls and I are going to sit down and get started soon. They want to do finger painting on some (thumb prints made into reindeer) and I have seen some nice ones using embroidery thread - quite unusual.

And I am intending on making two santa sacks (four if I get time). A friend made them for all the members of her family and as her girls have got married, the new husbands also receives a santa sack! She is going to show me what she does at our next craft group. I bought two red and one white fleece blanket from Ikea (at £3 each I think they are probably cheaper than buying fabric) and will transform them into sacks!

I also have a quilted table runner and quilted bags to make - but I have a feeling that they will get done in the New Year so can be put away for next Christmas.

And on the baking front, L and I have decided to make our own Christmas cake this year. My sister usually does it and although her cakes are lovely, we just fancy doing our own. L is already planning on how we are going to decorate it! And mincement - I fancy making my own mincemeat (again my sister usually gives me some of hers).

The flavoured gins and vodkas are underway - damson vodka and Christmas pudding vodka are currently being shaken daily and I just need to replenish my gin stock so I can get my sloe gin started. After last years poor sloe harvest, this year the trees are dripping in them.

[meriad]

you put me to shame - I do nothing crafty at all for Christmas besides my own cards, but they're just a tweaked photo

[debih]

you put me to shame - I do nothing crafty at all for Christmas besides my own cards, but they're just a tweaked photo

But I only work part time. And as the girls are getting older I have more and more time on my hands.

I did consider looking for something full time as the money would be nice but tbh, with the tax credits we get I think we wouldn't actually be any better off. And I like being at home for the girls when they get home from school and there when they leave in the mornings. And it keeps weekends free for family stuff (not that they want to do much family stuff anymore - they are too busy going off with their mates).

[Kaz]

Well I don't work at all, and never do anything in the least craft related I was going to say crafty, but that would be a different story

I would if I could I think, but I possess zero creative talent, and very little patience

[Gal]

Gosh I only work p/t but when I AM at home I seem to have to do other 'stuff' like grocery shopping and h/w and then I might want to grab an hour to read or play on here, IF I get the chance!

I do admire all your hobbies though Deb, you are a very creative lady (and you still haven't told me how you made that chocolate cake with the swirls going vertically!! )

[JoM]

I know I keep saying it but I WILL teach myself to knit.

[debih]

Gosh I only work p/t but when I AM at home I seem to have to do other 'stuff' like grocery shopping and h/w and then I might want to grab an hour to read or play on here, IF I get the chance!

I do admire all your hobbies though Deb, you are a very creative lady (and you still haven't told me how you made that chocolate cake with the swirls going vertically!! )

I tend to do things I can do whilst doing watching tv so I still get all my jobs done but when I sit down at night I knit whilst watching tv.

The cake was sooooooo easy Gal! It is a Lorraine Pascale recipe called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Zebra!!! You basically make two batters - a chocolate and a vanilla. You put a spoonful of vanilla in the middle of a cake tin and then a spoonful of chocolate on top of it and then a spoonful of vanilla on top of that, etc, etc. The batter then spreads outwards in a striped pattern. Dead easy although a little fiddly.