Mayhem and madness.....

I never managed the mountain of mittens or the hill of hats! But I did make 2 hats, 2 scarves and a pair of mittens. Plus 7 Christmas cakes as gifts.Christmas morning brought a spotted teapot.... I fell instantly in love!

Tiniest tiddlywink had 2 balls of Patons shadow tweed chunky as a present for her to crochet with. She decided that Mumma knitting a new scarf would be better! I finished it this morning, its over 5 feet long and by about 4 feet it felt like it!!! It is heavenly.... I had trouble parting with it.

Merry Christmas...

Turned wooden bowl made a member of the family............ shown here with his special marble collection. Isnt it yummy!!! Im keeping my fingers crossed for a bowl for Christmas..... I wont have to say Ive lost my marbles then! Well.... it has arrived despite me! I hope everyone is ready and willing to enjoy tommorow! I am! Cant wait! Actually cant really believe its here! So glad there wasnt the usual mad build up. I think I may avoid it next year too!!! Last words are MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Christmas cakes, and lists that are too long.....

Cake making.... all set up and ready to go! The kitchen table was scrubbed and filled with all the goody ingredients. I didnt start until after lunchtime so the last big cake did not decide to finish cooking until nearly 10 oclock at night! mind you it was over 3 lb in weight. I was getting fed up going to the oven to check it come finish and told it in no uncertain terms that it was going to be chicken food if it didnt b***** well hurry up and cook!! We made so many Ive nearly lost count.... About 9 I think, including a rather delicious sponge stuffed with gooseberry jam and buttercream. Head being full of cold and because I had long oustanding computer work to tidy up I stayed up all night.... 10 hours of editing till my finger wouldnt click another click! But I did crawl into bed with my hotty wotty botty at just after 5 this morning for 2 hours sleep. I now look like Ive been buried, left to 'settle' for a fortnight and then dug up again. Yep, thats a pretty fair description! Middle tiddlywink has a new friend visiting tommorow with her pony so great excitement..... its made me look at the rubbish tip that we live in (masquerading as a house) and made me think I had better start cleaning. List of to do's for today.....

• Bag up and make christmas gift labels for all of the cakes.
• Wash dishes, clean kitchen.
• Sort out shopping list money (I get shopping for my Mum and she pays me after).
• Knit the second mitten......
• Fold and pack away two enormous trugs of clean washing.
• Cook tea.
• Blow my nose a million times.
• Dip my whole head in a bucket of vaseline to help counteract the sore lips and nose which are cracking if I smile.
• Looking at this list, I will NOT smile all day.
• Reading and writing with tiny tiddlywink.
• Wrap some presents later (havent touched one yet.....).
• Collapse.....
• Early night to make up for lack of a night, last night!

So this is probably my last blog... because Im going to die of exhaustion at about 6 oclock tonight.

Fresh look.....

Time for a change.... plus I had fidgety fingers last night! Decided there was a distinct lack of 'fairies' on the website so used this oak fae drawing that I did in the summer to make a new banner and based the new look around that. Its hopefully fresh and fae, all at the same time! This was all triggered by my Husband looking over my shoulder yesterday evening and commenting on how dull the website looked...... Cant have that can we! I maybe worry that it may be too stark now???? Cant win!!

Lacy crochet collar pattern....

As promised the pattern for the above! Hopefully Ive written it well enough for it to make sense. These would make wonderful last minute gifts for loved ones. Have fun with it! The Spinning Fairy – lacy crochet collar. Ingredients: Approx 30 to 50gms DK weight yarn OR play around with less stitches and bigger yarn! About 1 hour of uninterrupted peace and quite….. this is the hardest ingredient to source (Ive never found a shop that sells it). 5mm and 4.5mm crochet hook (or larger if substituting yarn). Method: · Using the 5mm hook make about 50 chains + 3 extra to count as the first treble (that’s an English treble). Change to the 4.5mm hook and work a half treble into the third chain from the hook and in each other chain back down the length till you get to the first chain you did! First row is complete! · Turn. Now increase in the first stitch by working two trebles into it (first increase) work 1 treble into each of the next treble tops, then increase again by working 2 trebles into the next space. Continue increasing in this way on every fourth stitch until you get to the end of the row. Don’t worry if there isn’t quite the right amount of spaces at the end, just increase into the last stitch anyway! · Turn. The next row is made up of even longer stitches, double trebles! So chain 4 to count as your first double treble then work another double treble into the same stitch. Work 1 double treble into each of the next 2 spaces, then work an increase on the next space. Continue in this way working 2 double trebles, increase all along the row till the end, making sure that you work an increase on the last stitch. · Turn. Lacy edging: chain 6 then slip stitch into 3rd space from hook causing a loop. Continue doing this all along the row. So chain 6 then slip stitch into the third space. · Turn. Slip stitch up that loop till you get to the center! Work 8 chains and slip stitch into the top of the next loop…. It’s taking shape! Do this all along the row! You now have a herd of caterpillars. Break yarn and tidy up the end by stitching in. · Neck part: Rejoin the yarn to the same place where you started from at the very beginning. Chain 3 to count as the first treble and then work trebles all along the initial starting row till the end. · Turn. Work another 3 rows of trebles in this way, or if you are a giraffe about 300 rows. · Turn. Chain 2 to count as first half treble and then work half trebles all along this row till the end. · DO NOT TURN! Chain 2 then working down the front edge work approx 10 half trebles down to that first row. This part forms the little placket for the buttons to be sewn on. · Turn. Chain 2 then work half trebles back along the row. · Repeat last row once more, then break yarn leaving a long tail which can be used to sew on the 2 buttons. · At the other end of the collar you need to make 2 little hoops to act as buttonholes. Just rejoin and work a few slip stitches along then form a chained loop of however many stitches you need for your button, skip a few spaces and slip stitch a bit further before making the next loop, slip stitch down to the first row beginning point again. · Sew on your buttons, sew in your loose tails….. Find a mirror, and admire your creation! WARNING - Once you've got used to wearing this you will NOT want to take it off, so make several in defferent colours to go with all your clothes. Hope this works out well for you!

Black all over...

We've had green, blue and now black.... sounds like a bruise doesnt it!!! Very pleased with this little beauty, even happier with the little matching leafy purse! When its opened it makes a perfect leaf shape. Its included with the bag which I have just put on the fairysteps shop and on Etsy too! Maybe someone lucky will get it for a Christmas present?

Feeling blue.... new stock

Only kidding .... not really feeling blue! Just finished a batch of 'peacock' nubuck accessories which have all gone into the fairysteps online shop today!

I ressurected a little bag called ITSY BITSY which I havent made for simply ages so it was great fun making that one! Ive changed it slightly and added a elvish touch on the front with a big leaf applique to cover the magnet catch. It worked a treat!

I love designing and am rather naughty because I would make new styles every day if I could, but realistically if you run a business you need to offer repeats of customers favourites so I cant always indulge my whims. Thats fair enough though!

And here they are... boots for my love! Long overdue but I have been informed that they fit like a glove and he loves them! I designed them just for him, named DAPPER which sums them up beautifully. Arent they smarties! Poor thing has a streaming cold which I will no doubt catch over the next few days.... I did suggest that he could sleep in the shed, thus avoiding the spread of unwelcome germs. It didnt go down well........

Going green - new stock.....

A beautiful new PIP rag tag fairy bag added on the website today.... look at that front rag tag, yummy!

And not least a big pile of large purses, mainly in woodland shades and focusing on a few TINDER pouchs for the discerning gentlemen among us!

Also... Ive been a very good fairy shoemaker and have actually been making shoes. The list is going down... Ive finished all of the December orders ready to go out this week, thank goodness and I have promised the children that time is on the horizon! Major Christmas present making is in sight....

Last note... late night shopping at Chagford and a hog roast in the square tommorow evening. We all love going and doing our present shopping. I am going to wish for a cold, crisp evening with a bright moon to light our way and make it a success for everyone!

Crochet lace collars.....

Major Christmas present making is in sight....

Ive made 2 of the big presents but I got side tracked making this above yesterday evening, it sort of grew as I went along.... I intend putting down the pattern here in a day or so because it was so easy. Lots of people make crochet collars on Etsy and Ive seen them in several books over the years... including much lighter weight ones which were around during and before the second world war, so I dont feel I am copying anyone in particular by making one! Anyway, if anyone has a little smidge of DK yarn, a 4.5 hook and about 1 hour to spare..... watch this blog because I am going to have a go at writing down a pattern from inside my woolly head for you to copy!

I really need one in chocolate brown.........

Went on a stunning walk yesterday afternoon and met some quite amazing trees, photographes have been taken and I will share these on another post.

Dishes are breeding in the kitchen again and the fires need filling, tea needs cooking, shoes need making, jumpers need knitting...... its all go!

Christmas boots....

The Christmas boots....

My string of Christmas boots (made from linen scraps many moons ago) are filled with a chocolate hazlenut for each family member together with a little scrap of paper telling the tiddlywinks to do somehing silly have gone up on the kitchen dresser.... so its official... Christmas is coming!!!

Upwards and onwards...... no time for knitting the mitten mountain tonight!