cosier tea...a random act of kindness...birds in the tree...a friend for mitzy...those little bags...and one final thing...

love this time of year, lots of excuses to be creative, especially since I took the handmade pledge and am trying to make as many of my gifts as I can...

here are a few of the latest (hope I don't spoil any surprises along the way)...

Lovely Jane lent me her wool and I made another teacosy (can't disclose the recipient as I think they might just read this)


in a random and beautiful act of kindness Erqsome sent me this BeeeYoootIful yarn and now I can do another one - hurrah (will I ever tire of knitting these little cosies? I doubt it)


(I stumbled across Erqsome on Ravelry when I was ambling about looking for Blue Faced Leicester (this yarn) and I noticed she had some in her stash that she didn't appear to have plans for. She had swapped her other BFL so I thought there might be a chance I could coerce this out of her... and there was. It arrived yesterday with a lovely Xmas card. Now I have to track her down in RL (and give her a fiver!) January iKnit club here I come...I hear she is to be found there on occasion...)

meanwhile, life at the back of the wood continues...


I finally managed to persuade some birds to show an interest in those monkey nut garlands me'n'the girls made a week or so ago...


the nuts obviously weren't enough, as the birds shortly began to perch menacingly on Orlando's chair, doesn't that cat look worried though? Luckily for Orlando, baby Eli came to his rescue and took him off to the (relative) safety of the countryside this afternoon, phew! (UPDATE - remembered just before I fell asleep last night that one of the birds headed off to the countryside in the car with Orlando - suddenly he seems imperilled again...yikes! it was hard to get to sleep after that I can tell you)


These little bags didn't get finished in time for Miss Reva's craft'n'movie shindig in the end, soooo they've been filled with crafting goodies and are winging their way around the globe to my various nieces and nephews scattered round and about (Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, the US...) Saved on the need for wrapping paper at least!


And finally...those kids of mine and their buddies got up to high jinks with the coloured icing and stuff again last Friday. I think Miss Reva is mastering her medium in a big way though, isn't this fab?


right, think that's it for now...readying myself for the most manic week of the year which will culminate in an escape to Switzerland next Sunday and an enforced break from crafting and blogging...I guess the snow might just about compensate...