What are you interested in right now?

I like helping out where and when I can I help domestic violence families fleeing there situation by collecting food cloths toys and delivering to the refuges. Also I volunteer for dog charity that sends food to Greece for the starving homeless dogs and cats. I’m an outside busy person so it keeps me active whilst helping out at the same time. Obviously since covid the dog charity donations have ceased, but DV has increased so we are still doing it with little contact but still abiding by the rules.

I usually knit or crochet but was lacking inspiration, so I asked for a quilling set for Christmas. I’ve been learning how to do do it on YouTube and Pinterest. This is my first effort, copied from Pinterest but using my own colours. I’m really enjoying it.

Wood Turning. Lathe was a present for my 70th (beg of 2020). I joined a local club and did one tuition lesson. YouTube has been very useful but I look forward to meeting up with the club members. Fear that will be some time away as most are 50+.

As all the craft shops near me are in lockdown, I'm using up all my odds and ends of yarn. I've just finished knitting a tea-cosy and have just started on a pair of woolly mitts.

I also love reading, and am lucky enough to have a library app on my tablet for this. Plus family history and doing the odd jigsaw puzzle keeps me well busy.

Mr Fox is gorgeous well done!

Mr Fox!

Deeply in awe of such creative folk. I’ve stuck a tentative toe in the water by embroidering greetings cards from a kit in which everything is supplied, down to a thimble! Very useful when non essential shops are closed. So far I’ve stitched a handsome fox card for dear DiL who is very pro animal rights and a wise owl card for my wise counsellor friend. Both very well received and framed!

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/908673772/stitch-your-own-embroidery-greeting?ref=search_recently_viewed-1&frs=1

I knit every day at some point, I’ve been creosoting our never ending fencing and gardening. I’ve also being doing some pyrography, I bought a cheap pyrography pen to try it out, as recommended. It’s great fun.
I also enjoy drawing, cross stitch and Lino cuts.

I have got an eclectic stable of hobbies: Painting, Pyrography, Knitting, Crochet, Sewing, Embroidery, Weaving and Bag Making. I like to challenge myself by bringing as many different strands of my hobbies as I can into each project.
I have just finished weaving a piece of fabric and today I am going to draft a pattern for a bag, stabilise the fabric that came off the loom yesterday and hopefully get the various pieces cut out. When the bag is finished I am going to make my own tag using pyrography on beech.

Thanks Viridian - I’ll browse and see what I can find. I need a new project?

Wow, so many busy talented people.
I’ve probably said it before but I truly think my craftwork keeps me sane.

This last year I've made two patchwork cushions. I've always knitted and I'm making a blanket with 8" x 8" squares, I've knitted 70 squares so far, all different colours. My new favourite hobby is cross stitch. I made cross stitch pictures and framed them for 6 of my granddaughters for Christmas. I've just started a large cross stitch of vases of flowers, I think it might take a long time to finish.
Together with reading, these hobbies have kept me sane over lockdown.

Hi Farmor, I follow patterns from a couple of books by Susie Johns - knitted fruit, knitted vegetables. If you search online for 'knitted food' you'll also find lots of patterns! The burgers etc are from a different book which I've lent a friend and can't remember the name of, sorry!

Witzend

*@Liz46*, do the worry monsters go to Handmade for Dementia too?

No the worry monsters go to knit-for-nowt. They also want things like police hand puppets and nurse ones.

I started lockdown 1 by making a patchwork quilt from scraps. I have also made an insulated casserole carrier (for taking food to things in the village hall, when we get back to normal). Then I started making masks for care homes etc. I have just knitted mittens for DGC and made a fabric glasses case. I did get some lino cut equipment but haven't yet got to grips with it. Maybe I will try a lino cut for this year's Christmas cards.

@Liz46, do the worry monsters go to Handmade for Dementia too?

viridian do you have patterns for the knitted food or just make them up? Sounds like a good idea as I have 2 GDs with toy kitchens.

Thank you, @Liz46.

@vegansrock, that is utterly gorgeous!

Witzend

*@Liz46*, I like the idea of worry monsters. Who do you pass them to? And can you recommend a pattern?

I’ve knitted twiddle muffs for dementia patients in the past and given them to the local hospital, but had it in my head that they wouldn’t want donations ATM because of Covid. Must check, though, since I have so much yarn that would be ideal.

You have to join Handmade for Dementia and agree to their safety rules. Some hospitals are taking the sleeves at the moment but my local one isn't. If you are on Facebook, there is a group there and photographs can be put on there for safety checking. If you want to do some, it's worth looking at the rules carefully before you start as they are quite strict.

Knit-for-nowt has patterns for worry monsters etc. I am parcelling up the ones I have made so far and sending them via Hermes. They safety check them before giving them away. I think that the therapists/teachers have to pay postage.

I am writing a novel. Totally absorbing. The hours just fly by. Enjoying it enormously even if it never gets published.

I can't go a day without reading and doing cross stitch. I have posted some of my cross stitch on the cross stitch thread . I tend to work on 14 count Aida have done one on 16 and one on 18. Evenweave I can't do. Biggest piece of work was a Triumph motorbike almost 28,000 stitches on 14 count.
I love cooking and was looking forward to making orange marmalade or as I call it Paddington days. But Sainsbury's didn't have the Seville oranges I ordered. But can still make the lime and lemon ones. Make all my own jams and chutneys.
Love giving things I make to friends and family. Keeps me out of mischief.

I’ve been doing appliqué and quilting. Here is a cuddly cats quilt for youngest GC birthday in a fortnight. Not quite finished. You tube videos are great.

Hand embroidery is my first love, then there's patchwork* which I've been doing for decades. A little dressmaking sometimes. ATM it's knitting - sock making in particular. I've run out of wool and would like to make another pair but don't feel inclined to buy more wool just yet, especially as shops which sell this aren't necessarily open during this lockdown. *Have lost my mojo but hope it'll return at some point. Great work Witzend

Oh, should have looked at the forum heading?

Here’s one of my twiddle muffs. In case anyone wants to know, I found the pattern by googling Oxford University Hospitals Twiddle Muffs - IIRC as advised by someone here.