Christmas trivet

Knitting consisting of lots of bobbles

So much happens in the kitchen at Christmas it can be warm and cosy and just me in there pottering about with my Christmas makes and bakes or it can be raucous when everyone is finally home with so much news to share.  Leading up to Christmas day itself the kitchen becomes even more of a hub of the home than normal.  And the day, itself with so much cooking taking place, pots and pans are literally flying all over the place whilst we all go about our designated cooking chores, of course sipping on some tipple or other such like trying not to bump into each other in our rather narrow kitchen.  

I came across the potholder pattern whilst thinking about my Christmas kitchen and thought it would be both a practical and festive addition to the red theme I have every year.  Having also not knitted bobbles before I was keen to challenge myself and try something new. This is a pattern I wish I had designed, it was fun to make and relatively quick.  Both my sister and mother having seen this would like one.  I'll add it to the to-do list...

Does anyone else forget things quickly, misplace things or walk into a room and have absolutely no idea why you entered?  It seems to be happening to me with more and more regularity... I'm not even going there by saying it's my age, but it is my age!  So as I sit here typing away to tell you about this pattern, I cannot remember how I did it at all, I even had to just watch the little clip to remind me how I knitted the bobbles, here it is for you in case you are interested... Knitted bobbles video

As long as you can purl and knit then you can make this trivet.  

Again with anything felted it is made in 100% wool, knitted larger than the required size and shrunk in the washing machine with towels to aid the rubbing and friction on a normal 40-degree cycle.  It is IMPERATIVE that as soon as the cycle is over you remove the trivet and lay it on a flat surface and pull it into shape.  The corners may want to curl a bit but with wriggling it you will get them to lay flat.  It will take a day or two to dry out completely.  Since I have made it, I've used hot pans from the hob and baking sheets from the oven and it has protected my work surface.  I'm rather pleased with this and if I remember to I may not because of my age! after Christmas will make a couple more.

The back of the knitted trivet
makes me think of a shaggy beard

Each bobble is knitted back and forth individually on the right side of the work and each bobble row is bound with a row of purling on the wrong side.  It's quite a therapeutic knit once you get into the swing of the pattern and it's incredible how the bobbles felt into thick balls, it is such a clever pattern.

To ensure the red bobbles do not pull the whole piece,
each bobble has it's own beginning and ending thread,
with no carrying over to the next bobble.

Finished knitted piece before machine felting

Close up of a knitted bobble before machine felting

Another great name from GarnStudio find the pattern here: Hot heart ♥

❤️ The youngest has returned from university so we are now all under one roof ready for Christmas but we will be thinking of those we cannot catch up with in person this year . Hugs to you all  ❤️

Christmas basket

Christmas crafting begins in the summer for me when 

I visit mamma in Norway and this year despite

the coronavirus I managed to squeeze in a quick flying 

visit to see her and of course some knitting...  

I love felting, all types but there is something quite unknown about knitting/felting as to what size your eventual items will be.  Wondering whether the width will marry up correctly to the height.  Mamma always says it depends too on your washing machine, a bit like knowing your own oven, does your oven cook a little quicker or slower than recipes say and so it is with washing machines ... it all adds to the spice I say.

Don't you just love how increases look on dpn

It's so exciting when the pattern begins to emerge

The basket begins to emerge

The stitch definition will be lost when felted

Basket before felting

Dpn decreases for the base of the basket

Could this be a hat? 

Photo to show the size of the basket before felting

Place the knitted basket in the washing machine with a couple of 
towels to aid the friction and rubbing whilst being washed

Once the basket comes out of the washing machine it is imperative to mould it onto something to get the correct shape.  Sometimes it takes a few goes to find the correct mould... 

I definitely was not the correct size or shape for the drying process so I resorted to using a bucket.  Unfortunately, the photos I took have mysteriously disappeared and as I do not own a round bucket and now with lockdown restrictions in place I can not just 'pop' back over to mamma's to take another photo with her bucket, you will have to imagine the next photo...

Imagine a photo here of an upturned purple bucket,  

with the felted basket, wet and dripping with water, tied around and around  

tightly to the bucket to hold the walls as close as possible to the sides of the bucket.

Here is a mock-up of what the
the imagined photo could look like... ;)

A Christmas Felted basket, ready to use

The basket is large, it has a diameter of 25cm and a height of 16cm and is proving perfect for Christmas satsumas and clementines...

Knitted felt basket full of Christmas satsumas,
what could be more appealing?

If you are interested in making this, the pattern is from Garn Studio and can be found here: Felt basket they also have patterns for Spring baskets too.

♥  How are your Christmas preparations coming along?  ♥

Christmas Pot holders

Christmas potholders, Norwegian style

I tend to think about my Christmas makes towards the end of the summer and usually when I am home visiting mamma in Norway.  This year was no exception.  I returned to one of my favourite sources of inspiration the Norwegian website, GarnStudio and as usual, was not let down.  I fell instantly in love with the below pot holders and once I had made one, just had to make a second.  If you are a knitter, these are a breeze and will take you no time at all.  If you are new to knitting these are not complicated and Garn Studio has several accompanying videos, with no sound, so suitable for all languages; you just may have to stop and pause the video a couple of times to rewatch a small section, they are clear and have helped me on the odd occasion.  I find the Garn Studio patterns easy to follow and often if you have a query on a pattern they do respond fairly quickly.  

Close up of stranded knitting, note the orange
embroidery thread, marking the beginning of the
row as this is knitted in the round 

I love the name of this pattern, its called Oh Deer! To find this pattern, click on the link:  Oh Deer! pattern  The pattern called for Drops Muskat yarn but confess I did not have any, so used what I had to hand which was Drops Cotton Light, Dark red (17) and White (02) and think it worked well.  The chart to follow on this pattern is repeated twice so that each side of the potholder will have the deer pattern on.  Making the potholder on circular needles ensures that the potholder will do its job and protect your fingers as it has double the thickness. Finishing off at the end with making loop it attaches well to my oven and ready to use at every opportunity.  Just hope I don't have too many 'oh deer' moments in the kitchen this advent!

Using the backdrop of a typical Norwegian shed
 painted in the usual barn red colour

Whilst I had the potholders in Norway I also used
the backdrop of my grand father's hand-carved work

♥ Are you a knitter or a crocheter? ♥

 

Last Minute Push

December 21st 2018

I don't know about you but I love the month of December, can you tell?  

Knitting on the boat in the winter sun

It is dark out there and the weather can be grim but there is something about the twinkling lights that people hang on their house and place in their front gardens that bring joy and the much needed missing light.  Divali too in November has that same feeling, let's bring light in at this dark time of year.  It is after Christmas that I seem to suffer and notice the darkness more, once the lights of Christmas are packed away for another year.  And yet the days by then will already be beginning to lengthen and there is more daylight, not that I ever feel that this is true.  But it is.  Today is the winter solstice.  It changes every year but always falls between December 20-23 and this year in the Northern hemisphere it is today, Friday 21st December.  The sun rose only a few moments ago at 0803 in the UK and tonight it will set at 1553.  Last night was the longest night and from tonight the nights start to become shorter and the days longer.  

The solstice is the when the sun is furthest from us meaning less sunlight and the southern hemisphere today will have their longest day.  The word solstice comes from the Latin word solstitium meaning sun standing still.  Don't you just love knowing snippets like this?  There is a difference between equinox and solstice too, today is the winter solstice, shorter day and longer nights but the equinox is when the day and night are of the same proportion, usually, this happens around March 21 and again around  September 23 every year.

Today I will light the fire, no work for me I am now on my Christmas holidays, whilst my son is still I school I shall sit by the fire and frantically try and finish his present.  What can a mother do, when three weeks before Christma you see on his wish list a knitted jumper?  I have had to knit in secret and try to fit it in around everything else, so it is really not ready.  but with my new philosophy this year of taking things slow and not stressing, I will try and complete it but if not, I will wrap it up regardless and tell him I will complete it this side of New Year, I'm almost there.  

I was not daft as I chose thick wool needing only 17 stitched per 10cm and an easy bottom up circular pattern with a round yoke and very little pattern.  Had I more time, I would have knitted something with more pattern, maybe that is something for the future, let's see how much he wears this...

Jack's jumper pattern

Every opportunity to knot to try
and complete the Christmas gift

Whilst watching my son in
his rowing race, I knitted

Accompanying my husband unexpectedly
to winterise our boat, I had to knit,
sorry I did not help honey!

♥

  Do you have last minute things to do?  Are you taking it in your stride or are you stressed?  

♥

Blogger blogging block

February 1st   

So already month 2 and this is my first post of 2017.  May I wish you all a belated happy healthy and prosperous year ahead.

Why the silence?  Well... I could list a multitude of reasons but that would bore you half to death, so needlessly I won't list my excuses suffice to say I am back, maybe not with a vengeance but I am back.

All has been it's usual hectic time here in the eclectichome, nothing new to report on my state of crafting except to inform you I still suffer badly from beginning way too many projects and failing to complete many of them, anyone else the same? Here is my shameful list of those projects I have begun in 2017 and as yet not completed:

3D knitted and felted chicken:  used the wrong wool and did not felt as it should and now I've lost all desire

Failure 1, but I am still tempted to give it another try

2D knitted and felted chicken: again wrong wool, will I not ever learn

Failure 2, again love the idea of this chicken, so will try again

Attic 24 Moorland CAL: it's an on going current online CAL so I am on track, yay!

At least I am on track with this blanket and
I love the gentle rhythm of it

3 crocheted cati all in various stages of incompleteness, need to source mini terracotta pots so at a standstill

These were such fun to make and are going to be used
on a crochet class I will be teaching, so
must get a move on and complete them

Knitted mittens, on the second one, it's nearly done: must get a wriggle on

The easiest ever mitten pattern, am 3/4 way
through mitt number 2

Small doll crocheted  amigurami: not looking as good as I had hoped so a little 'off' this project

Am totally out of love with this and
may just abandon it

Now that I have publicly shamed myself for too many WIPs and failures, I better hop along and try to rectify the situation, I had said I would not have any resolutions this year, but this post is making me think that I should really sort out this syndrome of mine and finish SOMETHING...ANYTHING...

until next time, stay well and safe... ♥

Scandinavian Hanging Christmas Hearts Garland

December 18th

I am definitely a starter and not a finisher.  If left to my own devices and not spurred on by this blog it's true to say my house could have become overloaded with WIPs, (works in progress) there's enough of them now if I'm honest.

In the summer when I return home to mamma I always chill and craft more than at any other time of the year.  It's my haven and my guilty pleasure, though not so very secret.

Each summer I choose to learn a new craft, until that was this year, when I knew I had to get a move on with Christmas makes.  Knowing that the first 10 days in December I would be away from home and so I needed to be organised.

Knitting Christmas makes in the middle of a Norwegian warm summer was odd but strangely satisfying.  When visiting the local library and asking for their Christmas craft books I had to wait a while as they dug them out of storage for me!  What fool would want Christmas books in July?  Me of course...

Initially fiddly to begin, but once you are past
about row 5 it becomes quick and enjoyable to knit

But back to being a starter and not a finisher. Neither the wine box cover [Wine box cover post ] nor these hearts were completely finished in Norway and so these past few days I have been frantically 'finishing up'.  And just in time too, phew.  It's never a good idea to leave something for a few months and come back to it as the flow has gone and it takes a while to get back into the swing.  But I must say I am delighted with the makes.

I will not share the pattern here now unless someone wants me to as I suspect it is too late for this Christmas, but ping me a message in the comments if you want it and I'll post it up in all it's glory for you in the New Year.  I'm actually thinking of making more in Spring like colours to hang on the door.

The hearts knit up quickly

A Norwegian summer and crafting always takes place

They even feel Christmassy here despite it being July

Finally having stuffed them and woven in the ends, joined them together and crocheted the hanging top loop, my vertical heart garland is ready for Christmas.  

What do you think?  Full of Scandinavian feel I think.

Vertical hanging heart garland

♥   Are you almost ready for Christmas yet?   ♥

A Christmassy Five

December 16th

We are now down to single figures before the big day and I am in my element.  This time of year brings extra work and I know that can be stressful and tiring but really for me, it's just the best time of the year.  The twinkly lights that you see everywhere light up what would otherwise for me be such a dark depressing time of year that just the lights lift my spirits without even all the other goodies. Over the past week I have continued to bake, entertain, shop, wrap and decorate as well as trying to live the day to day life.  I'm sure I'm in good company with you all, want to take a peak?



Slippers for Christmas

I have been making these slippers for years, a pattern passed down to me from Mamma.  Pop over to the post and see how to make the slippers and how to Christmas pimp them too!  Christmas slippers

St Lucia Day

This week saw the annual feast of St Lucia and I shared a classic saffron bun recipe with everyone. Eat and enjoy, this is a perfect bake for those who do not like to over indulge in the very sweet cookies around at this time of year.  St Lucia

Scandinavian Mulled Wine

The Scandinavian version of mulled I must confess to loving it,  much more than the mulled wine we are served here in the UK.  I share 3 different recipes with you on this post.  Gløgg

Let's hide the packaging!

Alcohol is expensive in Norway and the cheapest way to buy wine is by the box.  Siting a box on the dinner table is not so attractive and the Scandi's came up with a clever way of covering it up.  On this post I share with you my pattern for a knitted wine box cover.  Wine box cover



A taste of something different

Mostly in Norway Christmas cookies have some form of spice added to them from ground cardamon to cloves  and many in between.  so when i can across this cookie from Norway, I had to give it a try. Great for those not a spiced cookie lover Finger Cream Cookies

Joining in with  Amy sharing a Christmas Five with you all.  Apologies for not commenting on your blogs last week, I will endevour to rectify that and will be coming around for this week too, I love seeing what you have to share.

♥   Enjoying the days of Advent   ♥

Christmas wine cover

A wine box cover

December 15th



Have you ever been to Norway?  Do you know how expensive alcohol is over there?  You need to take a mortgage out to be able to even sip alcohol.  You can buy beer at the supermarket, but not on a Sunday and anything stronger regardless of the day, you need to go to the government controlled 'Vinopolis.'   The cheapest bottle of wine is about £15, last summer I ordered a glass of wine, not in the expensive capitol, it cost me £11, I nearly fell off my chair and not even from over drinking, who could on those prices!






That said the cheapest way to drink wine is to buy it by the wine-box, the most common size being a 3 liter.  Many Norwegian pattern books provide knitted wine-box covers and I thought it would be fun to design my own for Christmas, it does mean that I now need to go out and buy myself a box...

Wine box cover
Using double knit yarn
Colour A 100g ~ on the chart this is grey
Colour B    50g ~ on the chart this is white
Colour C scraps of yarn ~ on the chart this is red

Cast on 92 stitches in colour A
Knit 2 rounds, use a stitch marker to help keep track
Row 3 creates space holes for the elastic at the bottom of the wine box, to create this:

Make one, knit 2 together for the entire round. (I actually have not put elastic in my wine cover, I quite like the rolled up effect, but may add it in at a later date.)

The first row after will be difficult to knit, you will still have 92 stitches.

Place stitch markers in each corner after 17, 29, 17, 29

Knit until it measures 4 cm

Tap hole created

We now continue with the single colour yarn A but we need to make a hole for the wine tap.  This means that we are not going to knit in the round for the next 8 rows, but will be knitting backwards and forwards...

K6, cast off 5 stitches, K6 (this is the first short side and would equate to 17 stitches)  Continue the row in knit.  As we have now cast off 5 stitches we will have to purl back on the next row and the following row will be knit.  Continue to alternate rows, knit and purl back and forth for 8 rows in total.

Beginning again on the short side K6, cast on 5 stitches and continue to knit to the end of the row. Continue to knit in the round for a further 2 rows.

Then begin your pattern or follow mine!  Remember that you will need to repeat the pattern twice on each row so that you have the short side pattern (in this case the hearts) followed by the long side pattern (in this case the deer) and need to repeat each again.

Chart for the long side
29 x 42

Chart for the short side
17 x 42

Here you see one long side and the front short side
(it has a red heart, the back short side does not)

Here we see the second long side with the deer
and the back short side, no red heart

Once you have completed the chart we need to begin to knit the top of the wine box cover.

Checking for size is very important

So to begin the decrease on the top of the wine box:

*K1, K2tog, K23, K2tog through the back loop, K2, K2tog, K11, K2tog through the back loop, K1* This completes half of the round, is one long side and one short side.  you now need to repeat between ** to complete the row, (88 stitches)

We are now going to repeat the above procedure on every row BUT where we have a run of knitting ie above K23 and K11 we need to reduce each one by 2 stitches each row, so the next row will be K21 and K19.

Continue with each rowing decreasing by 2 stitches until you are left with 7 stitches on the short side.  Cast off and if desired single crochet and the edge here where the handle should be and also around the tap hole on the short side.

Stitch markers so I knew where the corners were

Having made this during the summer I am delighted to bring this out now for the first time at Christmas.  I get pleasure every time I go to fetch myself a sneaky drink or three, hic ;)

Christmas  knitted wine box cover 

♥   We are almost into single figure count down to Christmas, yippee!  ♥