Anyone else making things for Christmas fairs?

I thought the shepherds would have been wearing sheepskin anyway!

I did see one in JL, Jalima, but it was ££££, daft for the purpose.

BB, I thought the Ferrero Rocher hats were in crochet, which I never learned to do. Not that I'd probably get around to any now - too much else to do, presents and whatnot, and I have guests coming to stay in the not too distant, and the house needs a really good blitz.
Just as well we have guests fairly often - not sure it would get much blitzing otherwise...

I don't think tweedy mixes are 'in' at the moment

Your twig tree looks great Witzend, very nice. I am knitting 'hats' to cover Ferrer Rocher chocs, easy to do and popular at bazaars etc., Shame about the Mermaids chair, perhaps you can make a big cushion for her to sit on.

I couldn't find a tweedy mix either, at least not one that wasn't ££££ in John Lewis, so just mixed up what I had - grey body, brown robe, fawn body, grey robe, etc.

I tried making the mermaid's chair as per the JG pattern, but it wasn't a success so have binned it. First JG item that hasn't been worth the effort, but heigh ho.

I see that your shepherds 'bodies' are brown and fawn - I was trying to find a tweed mix like the one in the pattern, but I have brown and fawn so I'll use those - yours look good.

They're all lovely Witzend

How are you all getting on?
Not very well! But it was half-term last week and I was out a lot.

And, despite having bags of yarn, there doesn't seem anything that suitable for shepherds' bodies.

How are you all getting on?
Having run out of suitable ribbon, and finally worked out how to make twisted cords, I've finished my twig tree for the school fair.
It's been a brilliant excuse for neglecting housework and ironing - shall have to think of something else now! Apart from the donkey - still have old Eeyore to do.

I may take its head off and knit another one from the JG pattern!

It looks more like a Friesian cow

Nowt wrong with that, Jalima - there was supposed to be an ox in the stable, wasn't there?

I cheated and bought two knitted sheep but DGD1 said one of them looks more like a cow.

I'm thinking about a stable now. A lot of the online demos involve carpentry, but I've found a tutorial that uses cardboard cartons, brown paper, paint and glue, and dried moss. Plus a few twigs! Shall have to ask the corner shop for boxes - they're usually happy to offload them.
Found some small glittery stars in Sainsbury's today - one of those will do nicely on the roof.

I have so much assorted yarn left over, I'm mad enough to be wondering whether to make another next year and offer it to either Gdd's primary, where she'll be in reception, or Gds's pre school - both C of E, so I don't suppose they'd turn their noses up.

My DS knitted the whole Nativity for me when I ran a small nursery. My BiL made the stable (huge) and I still get it out every year at home now I no longer work with children (yippee) (oops). My donkey also has knobbly knees and he looks on the verge of collapse but I wedge him up and he's lasted well. I am in awe of anyone who could have so much patience, well done to all who are knitting these, they are wonderful.

My friend gave it to me and I wondered what on earth I could use it for - no-one would wear it!

Except a King

Never thought of glitter yarn, , but I think all my kings look pretty splendid anyway, particularly the red king (Balthazar) - especially his headdress! Though I diverged from JG's colours and gave him a purple body, since the lighter red I'd ordered turned out rather garish and cheap looking - not at all regal.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing Billybob - someone gave me some balls of glittery yarn so I was going to add a bit of that in with their cloaks.

Jalima - you can use bolder colours when knitting the Three Kings cloaks, as they were supposed to be very affluent. Tried to knit a dove (got the pattern from the Internet) but it ended up looking like an overstuffed parrot! abandoned that project.

Haven't started my donkey yet - got distracted with school fair elves etc., and mermaids.
From the pattern, the donkey legs do look like a major exercise! Not to mention a fiddle. Lord knows what mine will look like - Eeyore on his last legs, I expect.

I like the shepherds but they are very brown and grey and I'm saving the Three Kings until last!

I think the donkey is just worn out; after all, he's travelled nearly 100 miles carrying a very pregnant woman!

That's great Witzend, well done. She looks good. Just finished knitting a chef holding a cake, on the cake I knitted the figures 90, for a friends birthday coming up soon. Hope she will be pleased with it. This pattern was JG Little Gift Dolls.
Jalima - in between knitting the shepherds I switched to the sheep for a bit of variety. I knitted the donkey but he is very knockneed, think I overstuffed the knees giving him a very odd stance! Spend a good deal of time propping him up against a shepherd.

I'm stuck in the doldrums with the boring shepherds.

Here she is, BillyBob. Now just needs the mer-chair to sit on!