Knitting and Crochet Stuff

I hope your Christmas went well and looking forward to the year ahead.  No quilting goodies for Christmas, which is good, as I like to choose my own.  I did get some crochet hooks in a wrap and a travel sewing kit and a small tin (good size for bits and bobs).  I've taken to knitting and crochet recently as you will have seen in my most recent posts so these will come in useful in my knitting bag. I did get lots of other pressies too including a radio with Bluetooth speaker which I will keep in my room. Music while I'm sewing. I will have to update the playlist on my iPhone now.

I can now reveal the secret knitting that I've done in recent months, which the recipient, my granddaughter Sophie, is now enjoying.  It's a Jean Greenhowe clown, Mr Forty Winks.

There he is just getting comfy on the settee before being wrapped up.  Sophie kept going to our spare room when visiting to find the one my Mum knitted years ago for my daughter Sarah, (in the picture below) so instantly David and I thought "Christmas present!". Pattern sourced as Mum no longer had it, but found in local wool shop and some yarn using what I had and buying some more too, I managed to make this well before Christmas.

Guess who else wants a knitted clown - her sister Isobel! Better get the needles and yarn out for another to be knitted by her birthday in March.

Here's a pic of the clown in progress together with a picture from the pattern. He has an amazing number of little bits to knit but the detail is really good. The body is the easy bit being worked in one piece from the ankles to the hat but even bits have to be added, like the hat band and brim, hair, collar and band with knitted buttons, so did take a while on and off from September onwards (so better get a move on with Isobel's then).

It was good fun and I hope the next one will be too.

Meanwhile we have been to Cornwall and back during those between days and I took some crochet with me as David was happy to drive both days, so my corner to corner blanket which has come out of retirement is on the go again.

I'll post about our Cornwall trip next time as I've got several photos for that.