Feeling Festive

Anyone who knows me, knows how excited I get about Christmas. Because I get so excited you would think with over 25 years crochet experience I would have oodles of Christmassy crochet goodies adorning my home. Sadly I do not, again, anyone who knows me, knows how seriously disorganised I am! I spend most Christmasses in a state of crochet panic, with about 50 ideas swirling around my head and can never quite organise myself to get them done. I must start a different make everyday and then get distracted by another pattern idea. Just when I start to get my flow I remember all the gifts I had planned to make and the fact that I 'have' to make them otherwise we will have nothing to hand over when we see certain friend or relative the next day (or in the next hour)!

This doesn't mean I don't have anything, I have the odd make that was lucky enough to get finished, and a few are them are here, snowflake garland, stockings, table mat and my beautiful wreath which I love!

So for Christmas 2015 I am really trying to get more organised. For starters, I managed to make the majority of my gifts back in October, way before I felt too Christmassy to get swept away. I think this is a good tip for anyone like me! Also as I have a shelf this year in the Norwich Gift Emporium so the incentive was there to get some makes finished, otherwise I would have nothing to sell!

When planning what to make to sell, obviously decorations are always the first thing to think of, but I wanted to do something different, so thought if I buy some large plain gift tags I could decorate with motif's, and so my Christmas Tree Gift Labels were created!

I have had a few compliments about these and I absolutely love them!
The trees are made from Stylecraft Special Cotton DK and the stars from Sirdar Ella (cotton DK weight)

 


I found the pattern for the tree on Pinterest (http://theroyalsisters.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/grandma-tree-tutorial.html), and it was really easy to hook. It was quite refreshing to find a pattern that actually worked up well and didn't need blocking. Using the cotton yarn, meant it was easy to stretch into shape and stay there.

The star pattern was really quick and easy, as follows: -
Using 3mm hook, make a magic ring
Round 1 - 1 ch (does not count as st), 10 dc into round, join with a sl st into first dc (10 sts)
Round 2 - 4 ch, 1 dc into 2nd ch from hook, 1 htr into next chain, 1 tr into next ch, skip 1 st, sl st into next st (1 arm of star formed), repeat until end and you should have 5 arms, join with a sl st into first st of previous round
Fasten off and sew in ends.

These little stars are fab, you can make them into anything, a garland, decorate a wreath, make Christmas cards or even just as they are, tie a gingham ribbon to them and hang them on the tree!

Another Christmas make of mine was these Christmas Bauble coasters (yes, it is me, always a coaster on the go!). Again really quick and easy to make and you will find the pattern here on my blog.

I made 2 types, some sparkly sets hooked in Sirdar Ella

And then some bold designs in Stylecraft Special Cotton DK.

As they are cotton, the are machine washable and should hold their shape. Perfect for coasters!

So, a week on Sunday I will be sending the husband up to the loft to get the decorations down ready to put up! So no doubt it will spark some more Christmas madness for me and once again the disorganisation will start. Thank god I started early!

Happy Hooking
Kelly@lovedotty

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