Preparing & Munching

This year I'm trying to be ahead of the game, so I've started making some christmas gifts. I can never get my head around christmas until we're at the end of November, but this year I've decided I don't need the stress of last minute staying up until 2am to get things finished. With extra work planned, the after school Crafty Kids club starting after half-term and the Pick 'n' Mix to run I think being sort of organised, rather than the ad hoc way I usually do things will keep me reasonably sane. 

My first plan was to make some bed socks for the Bun's. Little Bun has taken to going to bed in her grey school socks and her cold feet should look pretty I've decided. I found this pattern and then popped off to my friend Gilly's yarn shop to pick some pretty soft wool.  Rowan's Cashsoft was perfect in a pale lilac. I plan to add eyelets so I can run a cream ribbon through to make the socks even prettier.  Gilly gave me a handy tip on how to resize sock patterns for children's feet which was really helpful. Apparently once you've turned the heel you measure the foot from heel to the bottom of the small toe. Then that's the length you knit before decreasing for the toes. Thought I'd share that in case there are any sock knitting virgins out there like me.

It took me three goes to get the hang of the four needles, but I couldn't work out how to join to make it a tube. After a google I found a lady who explained it all and I felt really thick then as it was so obvious. Now I'm a few rows in, I've knitted the eyelets and I'm really enjoying this new found thing. Eldest Bun asked what I was knitting, I told her it was a christmas secret. Then she had a look through the pattern book which I'd closed and opened up on the pattern I was knitting. She told me she'd love some of those socks in blue. Perfect - now I know which colour to buy for her too.

I've also been having a fiddle around with a few ideas for things to sell at the next markets. Bows seem to be everywhere at the moment, so I wanted to do something with them. I changed the crochet cuffs I make by not adding all the vintage buttons, but putting a lareg bow in the centre instead.

I'm not sure if these would work better with contrasting coloured bows or if all one colour is better. I'll try both and see how I get on. I'd really appreciate your ideas on whether you think they work as a design and what you think about colours.

 

Friday's other bit of creativity went down a storm. We had a friend coming to eat with us and the Bun's had asked if they could eat later with us too. Last Sunday we'd picked tons of apples off my folks trees, so I wanted to start using some up. I decided to make my first Tarte Tatin for pudding. Boy was it yummy. Before that we had a delicious potato layer bake oozing rosemary, emmental, caramelised onions and cream with veggie sausages and all sorts of veg washed down with red wine. No wonder I woke in the middle of the night groaning. Don't say I'm already at that age when rich food gives you grief please.

Today we're gardening, eating Butternut Squash Soup and leftover Tarte Tatin. I know Autumn's here as I'm getting excited about all this cosy food I can cook up and enjoy. Later on I think we'll light the woodburner, we've got the Prince of Persia from the library to watch before Strictly and more knitting. Perfect day I think.

P.S. Are you finding it impossible with this new blogger to space everything where you want? It looks fine, but comes out all over the place when I post. It's really irritating the tidy freak in me.