Willen Crafty Tea Time and Sock Update

Thank you for all the good wishes for our Crafty Tea Time Event in aid of Willen Hospice yesterday. It was a wonderful day full friends, family, tea, coffee, cake and memories of our lovely friend Doti. There was lots of laughter and a great celebration of her many talents. 

The total raised at the end of the day was an amazing £1620.50. 

A great tribute to a very special lady.

This mixed media picture came home with me because, I believe it encapsulates Doti's quirky style and sense of fun. I will always think of her every time I look at it and remember the fun and joy of the time we spent together. 

On a completely different note and with a huge sigh of relief, the sad sock has become a happy pair.

 

My toes (and legs) will be kept warm this winter.

The Kingfisher yarn is on the needles and the first cuff is complete. 

I just hope they do not take quite as long to complete!

Five on Friday - 4 Projects + 1 Mishap

Life has been busy recently, nothing exciting, just appointments and all the little things that need doing that take up energy. I did not get round to joining in last week's Five on Friday but did enjoy reading and catching up with everyone else. Sorry for not commenting on many, but it was a pleasure to read them. So it is good to be joining in this week with Amy at Love Made My Home and Five on Friday.

This week I have been working on several projects and trying to get some WIP's completed.

1. Sad Sock

This poor sad sock was started many months ago and may look familiar as I have chuntered about it before in previous posts. For some reason it was not enjoyable to knit and became victim of a severe case of second sock syndrome. It has stayed lonely in the bottom of the knitting bag since April without it's mate. I knitted a couple of pairs of socks for the Yarndale Sockline and enjoyed making them but could not get any enthusiasm to start this second sock. 

Until now.

I bought some lovely West Yorkshire Spinners sock wool in Kingfisher a few weeks back, which I am really looking forward to using. BUT I made a deal with myself that they could not go on the needles until the sad sock had it's mate.

It is almost there! The heel has been turned as you can see. 

Last night I got to the toe shaping, so hopefully tonight the socks will finally be a pair.

Big sigh of relief and I can get the Kingfisher wool on my needles this weekend.

2. Autumn Project Box

Recently I started to subscribe to Pocket and Pin's Habdash Box. I have had individual Habdash Boxes before as gifts and love the selection of treasures that come in them. There is no pattern or suggestion how to use the contents, that is left to your inspiration and imagination. 

(I have no connection with Pocket & Pin, I just love the concept).

October's box has a Woodland/Autumn theme and I thought it would make a great Autumn Wreath. It may have to be for next autumn as I have only just started.

I am making it up as I go along but there is a pumpkin and acorn so far and I have ideas for mice, hedgehog, more acorns and lots of leaves.

3. Taggy Blanket

We have had lovely news that there will be a new addition to the family in 2017 as my niece is expecting a baby. I love making baby clothes and was desperate to start on little jackets straight away but felt it was a bit early just yet. Instead I found a delightful pattern for a rabbit taggy blanket designed by Kate at Just Pootling. Despite the socks that need finishing and the autumn wreath, I had to make a start, just to see how the pattern worked. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

It is the first time I have crocheted with a small hook and 4 ply cotton and although enjoyable enough I am finding the yarn splits and separates a lot. I am using the DMC Natura above because it had a soft silky feel but not sure I would choose it again. Is it usual for cotton to separate or are there other brands that are easier to handle? I would appreciate any advice.

4. Doti's Cards

As I mentioned in my last post, we are holding a Tea Time and Craft event in memory of our crafting friend Doti. The proceeds will be going to Willen Hospice who cared for her so well. A mutual friend and I have been getting together to use  Doti's Lino cuts to make some cards to sell at the event. Last week we printed lots of her designs onto strong paper and on Wednesday we met to mount them and make them into cards. 

We were happy with our efforts as there are 43 cards in the box ready and wrapped for the sale, which is taking place today. I will report back later about how we get on.

5. Mishap

As Doti's event is Tea Time as well as craft I have been making some cakes. 

Well, trying to...... 

I am not a fancy baker and would never come up to W.I. or Great British Bake Off standards, but although never particularly exciting, my cakes are generally tasty.

Yesterday I decided to make a chocolate sponge cake and an apple cake with the last of the apples from my miniature tree. All was going well with the chocolate sponges in the oven and the apple cake prepared. I washed up and tidied round (I do not have a dishwasher) and left the water in the bowl ready for the sponge pans when they came out of the oven. The timer rang it's little tune and the chocolate sponges came out looking fine. I left them to cool a little before turning them out onto the wire rack. The first one came out fine but the second one was a little stuck around the edge. So I reached across to the draining board for a knife to run round to loosen it.  Before I could pick the knife up, the sponge detached itself and slid with a plop into the washing up water.  Sponge cakes are supposed to be light and airy, which this one was, but they also act like sponges when immersed in water. There it was floating in the soapy water sucking up water like an aqua vac. 

There were a few rude words floating around too.

Here it is, rescued and dripping water. It is not the sort of thing you can wring out so I had to leave it on the side to drip.

The apple cake went in the oven despite me being nervous about what else might happen. Fortunately, there were no more incidents and the second chocolate cake survived. 

Goodness knows what the refuse collectors thought this morning when they opened my compost bin and found the drowned cake sitting on top of the kitchen and garden waste.

Have a good weekend everyone. 

I am looking forward to casting on my Kingfisher socks and making a few more acorns.

  

Five on Friday - Plans and Preparations

It is Friday again so time for Five on Friday with Amy at Love Made my Home. I have a lot of different projects on the go at the moment, some are plans for the future and others have a deadline and need to be completed. It would be more sensible to complete the deadline projects before thinking about new projects but temptation beckons.

The deadline projects are for a craft and tea event for our local hospice.

Earlier this year a good friend was cared for in Willen Hospice in the final few weeks of her life. D was a very talented lady and together with other friends we used to meet every month for a morning of craft, stitch and cake. We had lots of fun experimenting with new techniques and learning new skills, taking it in turn to host the group. It was D who encouraged me to think about selling some of the items I created and we did several craft fairs together. We called ourselves "In Stitches" not just because most of our items were stitched but mainly because we were generally "in stitches" laughing.

Examples of D's beautiful work.

Our craft group miss D terribly and we had talked about using our craft skills to raise money for Willen Hospice in her memory. It is something we know she would have done herself. D's daughter found a number of D's creations whilst sorting out her craft shed and so a plan was hatched.  Willen Hospice hold regular fund raising events throughout the year in order to support all it's amazing work. They need to raise around £3.6 million every year from the local community. It is Tea Party week during the first week of October so we are holding a Time for Tea Crafty Event. 

1. Lino cut panels

The craft group met last Friday and we went through a box of D's crafty odds and ends. In it we found a bag of her lino cut panels which we are going to use to print some cards.
A project for next week.

2. Brooches

There were  two brooches in a design D regularly made, one complete, the other half made. I stitched the unfinished brooch together yesterday. It felt a little odd working on something she had started, but strangely comforting at the same time.

3. Hair Clips

Also in the box was a pack of colourful hair clips which we divided between us.

A member of our group has made pretty felt flowers to attach to her clips. I am  crocheting flowers to decorate mine.

4. More Shirley's

The first flock of Shirley's were sold in aid of MacMillan Nurses and can be found here. They proved to be popular with several further requests from friends and family so a second flock are in development. 

They are having fun in the garden here and competing as to who has the best hat.
(Pattern from Lucy at Attic 24)

All these projects need to be finished before I can start this one:

5. Napkins

I made some new place mats earlier in the year from fabric left over from another project. They have not been used yet although I am not sure why as they are not being saved for "best" as my Grandma used to say. While out shopping for bedlinen earlier in the week I found this pack of 4 cotton napkins for £4, which seemed to be a bargain. They are completely plain so perfect for embellishment. I am planning to embroider a simple pear motif  onto them to match the place mats.

But not just yet. There are other more pressing projects to be completed first!