BBB 2012 -Squares from The Netherlands and FILET CROCHET at last!

On Tuesday this week a post popped into my 'reader' from Elisabeth of About Crochet  - Elisabeth has crocheted 2 beautiful squares for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012.. lovely pastel shades! They are winging their way to me now from the Netherlands!

Elisabeth is also organising a crochet competition which I blogged about here in November.  The rules are that, using one stitch pattern with 3 variations, participants should design a scarf, shawl, fingerless gloves or a cushion cover.  


Easy I thought.. but with one stitch pattern it is somewhat challenging... I've spent a long time starting a few projects and then starting again.. the end project has to be published on our blogs by 14th January....


There are 20 of us in the competition - I am the only one from the UK! Watch this bloggy space...

Have you seen the lovely idea that Lynda from hookinwithlalaa has had to start the new year off with a bloggy bang? Lynda is going to set up a Craft Box that will travel the country (Uk blogs only)....if you join the project by January 20th you can have a turn at the having the box arrive at your door - then you can take 2 things out of the box and replace them with 2 other things.. I'm not explaining it very well - pop over and have a look..... I'm in....


Right then, before I go to bed I want to show you something which I am tres proud of... I couldn't show you before as this was something I started for the Avent Swap (also organised by Lynda from Hookinwtihlaalaa).. and sent to Madison of Madison Makes. 

Madison blogged about them today here.

I conquered FILET CROCHET! Well, I say conquered... it was more of a picking up the sword to begin the battle really - but I did manage to make an 'M' for Madison - and sewed it into a very wobbly pin-cushion...

I also made a pot cover... this was also my fist attempt at adding beads to crochet which I loved.  I shall definitely be taking up the sword again as filet crochet is no-where near as complicated as I thought.. in fact it is VERY simple, kind of mathematical, but oh so fiddly at first!  It goes a bit like this... chain, chain, chain...treble, treble, treble...chain, chain, chain....Once you have been doing it for a while, as with everything in life, it gets easier...


My Mum's sister has a picture on her wall, of a little girl done in filet crochet which my lovely cousin made years ago..... Every-time we see it Mum asks me to make her something similar... I can't find a pattern anything like that, but I am looking... and I think it would be a great challenge for 2012....

Tidying up the ends before the end of the year... Part One

There are a few things I should be blogging about before the New year begins... First of all on December 16th I promised that I would blog about the rest of my advent pressies from Madison Makes... and since then there hasn't been a minute to even think about it... so today I am catching up before the new year begins to sweep away the old... 

Here are the other presents that Madison sent me for my advent swap...

Gorgeous little soaps

A Christmas votive..

Hearts to hang on the tree

Beautiful little nightlight candles in the shapes of flowers

A vintage glass jug

A vintage glass footed bowl in beautiful blue

A notebook with handmade cover

A book on knitting in the pub.. 

Lovely smellies

Look at the pattern in this vintage glass bowl...

This is just gorgeous...little angels dancing in the candle light...

A floral pomander...and lovely memories of smelling my Nan's one which was similar...

and a hand knitted little heart...so sweet to hang on the tree for now...and on a door handle after Christmas..

THANK YOU MADISON... I have loved opening all of my advent presents...
 it made Christmas just that little bit more special for me....
I do hope you enjoyed opening yours too... x

Wait for meeeeeee....... I'm late for everything this week!

It's Friday already and I haven't done Tuesday's Tallies at Gingerbread Girl !


Nor have I blogged even once about the beautiful Advent Swap presents that I have been opening daily from lovely Madison at Madison Makes.  I haven't even had time to update you on the progress of the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012! 


SO.... Tuesday's Tallies... everyone else in the One-A-Day project seems to be in various states of getting behind, so at least I can feel that I am in good company there...For the record I now have 100 squares...and should have had 104 on Tuesday, so not so far behind.

The Advent Swap - Organised by Lynda at Hookinwithlaalaa ... I am so glad that I chose to join in with this swap... Madison has sent me so many lovely presents.  It all started with the big box that arrived...

It was all I could do not to start opening them all immediately.. after all, who would know?? But I decided to put the naughty girl in me to bed and open them daily.  Madison organised it like a 'lucky dip' box so that I could just chose one a day.  


The first 5 days went so fast the I didn't have a moment to show you the pressies... but here they are....

Ahem... sing along ladies......


On the first day of Christmas Madison sent to me... One huge ball  of DK 
(beautiful colour Madison).


On the second day of Christmas Madison sent to me... One ball of red mohair wool (are you surprised that I opened the squashy 'yarny' type pressies first?!)


On the third day of Christmas Madison sent to me... A lovely vintage glass vase!  (You've been reading my blog Madison... I swoon at the sight of vintage glass and this little vase is beautiful)!


On the Fourth day of Christmas Madison sent to me..... a hand sewn strawberry (which smells beautiful).


On the fifth day of Christmas Madison gave to me.... (I know it should be 5 gold rings, but it is...) a hand made felt Christmas tree with little button decorations which is hanging in pride of place on my dining room mirror now....

Breathe!  Aren't I lucky?  


If you haven't heard of Madison you should pop over to her blog Madison Makes ... Madison has a slight ( I'm sure she won't mind me telling you) passion for vintage china cups and saucers... she has a fantastic collection! She also loves to scour car boot sales for beautiful vintage finds... and has blogged about many of them.... 


I'll show you the next few pressies tomorrow.

On the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012 front I have been sending out my postal address and happen to know that squares are battling their way through the Christmas post to me right now!  I can't wait to see them... 


Lovely Shelley from all4meggymoo.blogspot.com has sent me her squares and they will probably be the first to arrive.  


Carole of Gingerbread Girl blogged about the square she is making here.....http://gingerbreadgirl-carole.blogspot.com/2011/12/time.html.... I was so excited to see it.... and I think you will agree that it is gorgeous! 


Thank you so much to those of you who have posted the Beautiful Blogger Blanket button on your blog and encouraged others to join in. It warms my heart to see it popping up everywhere.  


Okay.... IT'S FRIDAY!! I know many of you will be at the front end of the Christmas holidays with your children at home (oh I remember it so well)..have fun...make the most of every minute...you are making your children's memories NOW - so make them good ones xxx