Knitted hot water bottle cover

This is the second hot water bottle cover I knitted this Christmas - I didn't include it in my previous post as it was a present for my Grandma who I was seeing after Christmas day.

 
Both my grandparents liked their present, and it gave me a lot of pleasure to be able to make something for them.

Christmas makes

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I can assure you it's not because I've been idle!  I've been working my socks off this past month to try and get everything made in time.  Unfortunately, I was a bit over-ambitious about what I could achieve in the time available, so some makes are going to have to be presents for next year!  But now it's Christmas Eve, so I thought I would reflect on what has gone well.

I'm really pleased that I managed to make reindeer decorations for just about everyone I had been planning on giving one to.  Everyone who has had one seems to like them, so I'm happy.

I'm rather proud of this hot water bottle cover that I have knitted for my Nana.  This was my first real attempt at a cabling project, and the final result is better than I had hoped.  I know she is going to love it, and as a granddaughter I get great pleasure from being able to give homemade gifts to grandparents.  I only have two grandparents left, and they are incredibly important to me so I like to be able to make a fuss of them.

I actually found the pattern for this project in a knitting magazine I bought in a charity shop for 50p - another small victory for charity shop browsing!


I have previously posted about the Christmas fabric that M gave me.  I used this, along with unbleached calico, to make Christmas bunting.  I have to admit that I am really quite proud of the result.  I hope to make more for next year.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

Bunting - not just for special occasions

It's been a busy summer for bunting, from the Diamond Jubilee to the great British Sporting Summer.  At a stretch, the patriotic bunting can probably be left up until after the Last Night of the Proms, but any longer is probably pushing it.

But I don't think the end of the summer means we have to pack up the bunting for good.  There is something about seeing bunting hanging up that lifts the spirits with its positive associations of celebration.  I have long wanted to make my own bunting, but (like so many other projects) finding the time is another matter.

Below are two bunting projects I have recently completed.  They are simple to do, relatively quick and the possibilities to adapt them are endless.  You don't need a sewing machine, or even a needle and thread.

Welcome bunting banner

This project actually started with the ribbon.  Having bought some pretty ribbon in a Cath Kidston sale, I was thinking of how best to use it.  It didn't take long to decide that it would be a lovely starting point for a welcome bunting banner.

First, I measured a template for the size of the bunting triangles (16x19cms approx) and cut these out ready to decorate.  Once I had decided the size of the bunting triangles I could make the stencils.  I started by sketching out the letters and pictures.  Once I was happy with the design of these, I traced these sketches onto card.  Then came the tricky bit: cutting the patterns out.  A steady hand is needed!

I used a sponge and watercolour paints, choosing bright shades to complement the colours in the ribbon.  Once dry, I laid out the triangles, cut the ribbon to the required length and stapled the triangles to the back of the ribbon.  The triangles overlap slightly behind the ribbon.

This bunting is not perfect, but I am really glad I tried.  There is the odd touch of paint where there shouldn't be, but letting that go, the overall effect is rather jolly.  I was a bit worried that once finished this bunting would look twee, but I think it manages to avoid that.
 
 
I have to admit that I am particularly pleased with the teapot and tea cup prints, which look more effective than I had anticipated they would.  Using repeats of these two images could potentially make some lovely bunting - possibly a future project!
 

Over time you can gradually build up a good collection of home made stencils.

Stencil bunting could be great for displaying a Happy Birthday message, or putting a child's name on their bedroom door.


Literary bunting

A craft fair I visited this summer had lines of bunting decorated with limericks hanging from the ceiling in a nod to a local poetry festival.  I liked the idea of decorating bunting with text and thought I would try it out for myself at home.

As I intended to hang the bunting between my kitchen and dining area, I decided to go with a food theme.  I had a lot of fun going through books to try to locate passages that I half-remembered.  There were lots of passages to choose from, and the final line-up includes text from Wodehouse, The Wind in the Willows, Swallows and Amazons, Gerald Durrell, the Worst Witch and Winnie-the-Pooh.
 
This bunting is very easy and quick to make.  Having drawn up a template so I knew the size of the triangles I had to fill (15.5x18cms approx), I typed up my chosen extracts so that I could influence their layout on the page (if layout is not a concern time could be saved by scanning the pages instead).  These were then printed onto card and the triangles cut out.  I cut out the bunting triangles so that the text appears at different angles on a couple of the triangles. 

Again, the possibilities are endless.  Decorate bunting with favourite recipes for the kitchen, nursery rhymes for a child's room or Christmas carols to add to a festive atmosphere.

So go on, hang out the bunting!