Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Is it Wednesday already?

Time for another Year of Projects update!

I'm lagging behind a bit with my Spice of Life blanket. Not desperately so, but yesterday a new pattern piece was released and I haven't quite finished the previous one yet... It's not too dramatic, though, I 'm only about 6 rows behind and I'm hoping to catch up tonight.



Autumn always seems to fly by around here. It might have something to do with the three (!) kids birthdays, and Halloween, and Nicholas Day and then of course there is Christmas too. We are hosting it this year, and since we are an English/German household this might well mean not one but two celebrations - one on Christmas Eve, as is the German tradition, and another one on Christmas Day. The boys obviously think it's fantastic...

With Christmas in mind I've turned my attention more firmly to Christmas presents. I'd like to give quite a few handmade gifts this year, in particular for my step sisters, because we have agreed to not get into the habit of spending lots on each other. In previous years this has translated into little gift sets of cupcake forms and recipe book, or mug and hot chocolate mix, but once you've done that you can't really gift the same again, can you? 

This year I decided that instead it's going to be pottery and knitting. I've already introduced the chunky hat that I'm hoping to give to one of my stepsisters, and I've also completed my niece's little flower hat:



Boy #1 thinks it's a 'granny hat'. I'm choosing to take no notice...

Yesterday, while binge-watching the work of a director I'm working on (I love my job...) I managed to get a little production line going and made a number of little houses for tea lights or incense cones:








Cute, aren't they? D thinks they look industrial, like old Victorian factory buildings. I quite like the idea. By glazing them in different colours you could achieve a very different look - black or grey for a slightly sinister Halloween look (Haunted House!), or white, for a more Christmassy feel. I think I'll go with white, since they are supposed to be Christmas gifts.

I'm also contemplating a Tunesian Crochet scarf for my step mom. When I opened my email this morning I found an email from Purl Soho with a free pattern for this scarf:


Isn't it lovely? I'm not sure I'll get away without ordering some yarn, since most of the wool yarn that I have left is a bit too scratchy for a scarf, but you never know... 

My dad will also get a handmade gift this year. About 10 years ago, when I last took part in a pottery class, I made a platter which he liked and he asked me if I could make him a bowl that was large enough for his big dining table. I agreed, and then promptly had three babies and went to pottery class no more. ;)  Since I've now taken it up again I thought I was running out of excuses, so I made this bowl:




I wanted to recreate the ripple effect you get when water drops into a still pool. I'm hoping to glaze it a simple matt white and have already ordered some glaze for it. Unfortunately, when I rang Potclays this morning to enquire why they hadn't sent the glaze yet, they informed me that it's out of stock and only expected back in on 21st October, but since right now the bowl is not even fired yet, this shouldn't hold me up too much. Hopefully it will be ready for Christmas!

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16 comments:

  1. Wow! You are going great guns! I wanted to get the pack of yarns for the spice of life but there were other demands this month and then they were out of the yarn. Are you weaving in your ends as you go or waiting until the end? I love the color changes but all those ends? Your pottery is so pretty and you are really good. I love the village and your hat and the scarf...I may have to make one of those...very lovely! You go girl!

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  2. Some really great Christmas gifts, I love the house tea lights a wonderful gift. Take care.

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  3. Amazing! I love the pottery! I wish I had that skill. Perhaps when my babies get a little older I can take a class. It sounds like an amazing handmade Christmas you have going!

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  4. WOW! What awesome gifts you have lined up......and close to finished!! Love pottery and have always thought I'd love to learn, but took one class and---no matter how much I think I love the finished product, the process just wasn't for me. :(

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  5. Such pretty colors in your spice of life blanket. and your beanie is cute and will look adorable on your niece! :)

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  6. Love the colours in the blankets and how cute is that hat, it might have a touch of Granny but that's just vintage chic. I love the houses and think they will be a cool present especially for incense or tealights. I adore that bowl and I can't wait to see it glazed, having a very talented ceramicst for a friend I'm always in awe of what you all make!

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  7. What an inspiring update! Your crochet blanket is growing rapidly!

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  8. Your little houses are fabulous, and will be brilliant glazed. I love the bowl and your ripple blanket is coming along a treat.

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  9. Your bowl looks terrific, so professional. And I so like those little houses. They will charming once painted and glazed and lit up in the dark.

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  10. So many wonderful things!!! I love those little houses. The simplicity of their clean lines is really terrific. And the bowl is beautiful. I also love your Spice of Life blanket.

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  11. I haven't figured out any christmas gifts yet this year, but the pottery and knitting you've come up with looks amazing!! And I've been seeing so many amazing Spice of Life blankets floating around on the interwebs that I'm kind of feeling sad I don't know how to crochet..

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  12. phwaar your pottery is looking fabulous! as if your Spice of Life of course :D jenny xx

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  13. How exciting to see another potter on KCCO this week. I love your houses! Particularly the second from the left. I've had tea light houses on my to do list for my November show for 4 months now and still haven't gotten to it. Mine are not going to have a back wall - like a doll house, so I'm hoping they won't collapse too much in the kiln.
    Fantastic colourful blanket too. It's quite gorgeous.

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  14. wow your pottery is amazing! How will you fire the things you have made at home? Did you make the platter on a wheel? Love the blanket too, so interesting

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  15. The blanket is so beautiful. I like it. Thanks for your visit at me. J.

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  16. Oh, my goodness...you do so many wonderful things! And they are all so beautiful! I have decided just this last week that I will knit for this Christmas, as well. Santa's elves are busy, no?! :)

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