Christmas prep

I promise you Namsnanny socks are not that difficult! I learned to knit on four needles at school so I’m sure you’ll soon get the hang of it - socks are so quick to do - go on have a go! I’m sure YouTube has a tutorial.

MissAdventure ...One of the reasons I started this thread was because so many of us (me included) find the Christmas period difficult.
But I do like craft or growing plants, and I hoped if I showed willing others would join in and we could concentrate more on the positives and less on the negatives of the season.

So I'm really glad you like seeing the progress people are making with their crafts!
With me it's generally one step forward two back, if you see what I mean?

I've just planted some Christmas indoor Hyacinths, a bit late so I hope they will be out on time.
Would that appeal to you? They smell lovely in the house!

AllotmentLil… I might try, after Christmas. New projects are a bit daunting!

Oldandverygrey ...Oh I love those! They look so sweet on.

I scaled them up one year, and made adult sized ones for my family and put them inside crackers!
Poor people had to wear them as a forfeit if their cracker didn't bang.
You can imagine how that went down with 20 somethings who'd spent all morning gelling and crimping their hair!!
Well, after all the wrapping cooking etc., a girl's got to have some fun

Oldandverygrey, your baby's hat will be lovely! We have a new Gdd due in early Jan - shame it'll be a bit late for a Christmas pud one. Must get around to knitting a hat, though.

Steaming along with the Advent calendar. Had trouble trying to knit the mini polar bear with the recommended fluffy white yatn - just couldn't cope with it at all - couldn't see the stitches! So just did him in basic white.

Namsnanny, commiserations on the going wrong and undoing! Been there at least twice lately - more haste less speed... but luckily the items were small.

Here's my polar bear with a satsuma for comparison. I'm rather fond of him!

He will be much loved Witzend - am now knitting poppies for friends, when they receive them they make a donation to British Legion, like to keep busy.

Have just taken my Christmas cake out of the oven. Just a 6 inch round. I use a very old woman's weekly recipe called a cake - u -later, as most recipes are for large cakes. I have basted it with Contreau and wrapped it in foil, still in the cake tin, to cool down.

Witzend I love your nativity people - I'm in awe of people who can knit things like this. My MIL was a great knitter and made a few knitted dolls for her GD before she developed macular and couldn't do it any more.

I've got into a never ending spiral of gnome making as I keep running out of rice so buy more then need more socks to use the rice up then run out of rice before using up all the socks and so it goes on!! I'm now making them to give away to family and friends as well as snowmen but my glue gun has just given up so that has stopped play today

Honestly, Willow, they might look difficult but the actual knitting for the Nativity people is very simple - just the basics. I can't cope with complicated at all.
It does all take time, though, esp. the sewing up. I counted 11 separate pieces for each of the Wise Men - body, robe, 2 sleeves, 2 hands, beard, 2 pieces of headdress, sash and gift.

The designer, Jean Greenhowe, designed her patterns very cleverly so as to be doable for anyone with just the basic skills, and her instructions are meticulously detailed.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Hey Gransnet, don't delete I haven't had the pleasure of reading the message yet!!

I`ve been asked to put pics on of the Christmas gifts I`ve made. How do I do that please?

Finally finished my Advent Calendar - well, except for the loops for hanging on the Christmas tree.

If anyone else is mad enough to be tempted, I'd advise starting it in about May!! Still, it's been a brilliant excuse for not doing any housework!

Thanks for the clarification that this thread is about crafting for Christmas Urmstongran!

I was beginning to feel stressed.

I made a Christmas tree decoration this week (not my best effort at craft) and need to stuff the Holy Family.

That's it!
Spreadsheet?
I thought it was supposed to be fun!

I don't do a spreadsheet - I just have an old exercise book with lists of what to do and buy, and by when.

I knitted the same nativity set Witzend. It took a while to make and lots of pieces, like you said, but the dgc love it. Baby Jesus does seem to go missing frequently though, and other small toys appear in his place!

Calistemon ...’I’ve got to stuff the Holy family’ made me laugh ?

Just as an aside I called it prep because I thought anyone can post anything to do with Christmas including cooking present buying craft or anything To do with the day!
I didn’t want anyone to feel excluded - they could post a photo of the crosses on their sprouts if they wanted
B
Boodybum .. I can do photos on my phone but not my lap top.
I select a photo library on my phone then select one with a ✔️
Go to gn on the internet select relevant thread (this one)
Press paper clip (attachment) icon
Then up comes photo! Voila!

Your gonna say you’ve done that and it doesn’t work aren’t you?
I don’t know ? anything more I’m afraid.

Oh my goodness Boody^M^um sorry not giggling of course !!

Where has the year gone?

I thought someone on here would know how to make angels using chicken wire and rags dipped in plaster of Paris? They were in the America magazine - Good Housekeeping (?) many years ago (1970s?). Does anyone know how to make them - they are exceptionally beautiful?

Apropos of 'stuffing the holy family', dh phoned earlier - he's been away for the weekend and was phoning from the airport.
Since it took me a while to find the phone he asked if I'd been having a zizz.
'No, I'm stuffing a donkey!' (For Nativity set no. 2.)

bingo sorry, no
I know how to make angels in the snow but they don't last

I have three bagfuls of little pieces and wish I'd sewn each one together as I finished it.

Callistemon … wow! that's some sewing up to do!
My least favourite job, I'd rather just knit.

Not my favourite job either!
I may not be doing invisible mattress stitch.

Oh, Lord, the dreaded mattress stitch was specified for all those fiddly little inserts in my Advent calendar. I find it hard enough with big pieces. So I just did the good old 'oversew row ends together' as instructed for the Jean Greenhowe things - I did substitute a few of hers for some of the 'official' items, as maybe more appealing to little Gdcs - elf, clown, soldier, fairy and Mrs Claus.
But I did also make the penguin from another Alan Dart pattern - how on earth anyone could manage mattress stitch for his fiddling little beak, wings and feet I can't imagine!