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This is intended to be mainly about my crafting stories, as a personal record of what I do. However, I interpret crafting quite widely, not just paper crafting but other things too. I have a butterfly mind and like to change from one thing to another depending on what I feel like on a given day - knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, cards, baking and several others, including my favourite right now, parchment, both traditional skills and Groovi, very relaxing and calming to do.

I have decided to put some structure into my blog so that each day will have something of a theme.
Monday- for Mindfulness; Tuesday - Tidy Up Day; Wednesday - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday; Thursday - Technique and Tips; Friday - Finish Off Day; Saturday - Start Something New; Sunday - Anything Goes
These themes are not hard and fast and will be changed if I feel the need.

Wednesday 16 November 2011

WOYWW - 128 I want to play

 Not my usual desk this week.  That has been overtaken by all the things that had to be moved out of the spare bedroom to allow the new carpet to be fitted.  So I decided that it was a good time to finish off a very long standing project.  About 38 years ago, I found a pattern for these Christmas stockings in Woman's Weekly and started one for our daughter.  Then I had to do one for our son, when he arrived.  Gradually, all the children in the family had one, and I kept buying more wool when I saw the right shades of red and green.  The result is that now one of the drawers under the bed is full of Christmas stocking wool - not good, as we are trying to clear unnecessary stuff out of the house.

As I could not get to do normal crafting things or play with my new baby, I decided that it would be satisfying to get as many stockings done as I could out of the remaining wool.  So far, in the last three days, I have completed four stockings and still have enough wool for several more.  Happily, this is  a craft I can do at night, while watching television without having to use my reading glasses.  I have reprinted the pattern in huge font so I can read it at a glance.  By the way, they are crocheted in squares, ten to each stocking (mainly trebles), then sewn together, before crocheting the gusset which goes all round (all trebles again), then there are two rounds of double crochet around the top and to form the loop for hanging.

Our children used to love their stockings, which were always stuffed with small items gathered over the year.  They always had the traditional apple, orange, and nuts, but also there were things like balsa planes, bags of marbles, spinning tops, yo-yos and anything else that we could squash inside.  Each one was separately wrapped.  Big presents were always from a person, but the stockings were always from Father Christmas, and they would leave him a glass of whisky, a mince pie and a carrot for the reindeer before they went to bed on Christmas Eve.  Even as adults, living in their own homes, they still requested their stockings for many years and never said that Father Christmas did not exist.

The son of one of our friend's once said to his parents that Father Christmas did not exist.  His parents were keen to keep the magic for his younger brother, so they told him that if he did not believe in Father Christmas, then he would not be left any presents.  When he refused to back down, they called his bluff and when it came to Christmas morning, there were no presents for him.  After a bit of swift thinking, he finally agreed that Father Christmas did exist.  Sure enough, in a short while, he heard the sound of sleigh bells and his presents appeared as if by magic.  He never voiced his disbelief again.

That's it from me this week, folks.  Thank you to all those who came to visit and left me such lovely comments.  I really appreciated them all, and I think I did manage to get back to you all.  While I disappear now to do some more Christmas stuff (did the cake yesterday), I am sure you would all enjoy the goodies on show on all the other desks on offer this week at Julia's place.  I hope to get round as many as possible myself, so I will see you there.

22 comments:

Lunch Lady Jan said...

I love the stories, Maggie - it's so lovely to know that other families do pretty much the same as us!! Great stockings - better late than never :) Crocheting is the one craft that I haven't really tackled, I must have a go one day, you know, when there's nothing else to do!!
Hugs, LLJ #45 xx

Deb said...

your Christmas stockings are so gorgeous, you are very clever, I am no good at crochet, keep meaning to learn some skills but never got around to it!
Happy WOYWW! have a great day Debxx #100

Anonymous said...

What a great desk your stockings look like ones I bought to wear. I couldn't knit in front of the tv due to the dog wanting a pet. I am in the midst of tidying as well. Have a great day, Laura

Debs Willis said...

Maggie,these are so cute! My family is the same about stockings, they look forward to those more than 'proper pressies. But my DH's family never bothered with them, and he can't understand the thrill we all get.

Enjoy playing with your new silhouette

Thnaks for sharing

debs #102

Elizabeth said...

Hi Maggie, great to see the stockings. Stockings from Santa were a tradition in our family too - but it seems the younger generation don't bother any more. I now know what your new baby is and does - I saw a demo of the Silhouette Cameo on TV a day or two ago and I can see why you want to play with it - it's quite impressive. Hope you get back to your craft space soon. Elizabeth x #78

jude said...

Love the story opf not believing in father christmas .Just shows how they change their minds...lol
Your stockings are beautiful and lovely colours.Have fun filled creative week .Happy Woyww
hugs judex 6

Linda Simpson said...

Thank you for sharing your story Maggie, I really enjoyed reading this! I must give these stockings a try myself and make one for my granddaughter. :)

Hugs
Linda xxxx

Anne said...

I enjoyed reading your story about the stockings and Father Christmas. The stockings are lovely. Years ago I made a large wall hanging Father Christmas from a project in Woman's Weekly. I still hang it up now and put sweets in for my grandchildren to find. My sons loved it when they were young and it has to still be hung up or it's not Christmas. Anne x

Di said...

Sorry Maggie - what's all this about any doubt in Santa Clauses existence? I just know he's there busily getting ready right now. Love the stockings - hope you get back into your crafty space ASAP, but you're doing well in the meantime for sure! Di xx

Hettie said...

Lovely stockings there Maggie. I still Believe and usually leave a Jack Daniels out and whatever cake Hubby suggests!! Oh and carrots for the reindeer!!
Thanks for stopping by. Those snowflakes are done with my Silhouette so you should be able to get them. I cut some with vinyl last year and stuck them to my craft room window and I guess I will do the same this year too. Let me know if you cant find them and I will e-mail you the code no.

Marjo said...

Love the stockings, sometimes it's nice to find some hidden stash and acutal use it!

Thanks for the peek and sharing. Hope you are having a great WOYWW,
xoxo Marjo #109

Bridget Larsen said...

Love the stockings but what is a cameo silhouette?

Bridget #29

Karen said...

What a lovely story Maggie, I really enjoyed reading it and those stockings are really gorgeous, such fab Christmassy colors :)

Julia Dunnit said...

Maggie how lovely a post this is..I love the story of the stockings...it mirrors our traditions too - stockings from Santa, big pressies from people..and of course, no-one expresses disbleief!
Aren't you clever that with your paper caraft area out of action for a short time, you can turn to something else. Bet you didn't realise quite how much wool you'd collected!

Neet said...

"Please Maggie - I believe in Father Christmas". Wonderful to do all those stockings, am afraid mine are all shop bought ones - I get too carried away with the card making at this time of year to do anything else.

Hugs
Net #9

Unknown said...

Thanks for leaving a comment. I cannot find my lead for the camera but now have photos from the SD card. Your desk is very colourful this week. Have fun.

Debbie Rock said...

SO sorry not to have had time to WOYWW this week ... just have no idea where the days have slipped off to this week.
I'm 51 and I believe in Father Christmas ... unfortunately I am the only person in the family who does so it makes for a bit of a "bah humbug" Christmas but I won't back down!

Anonymous said...

Good for you, using up the yarn you have had around for so long! Last night on Christmas Eve my then-six-year-old daughter was interrogating me like a police detective about the existence of Santa Claus. I think one of the older children at church may have said something to the younger ones. I hemmed and hawed and managed to get out of it "alive," but it kind of bummed me out, as she is our only child and I wasn't ready for this phase of her little life to be over. But this year, she is "talking the talk," so either she believes (again/still), or she's decided to play along! :-)

Bridget Larsen said...

It's me again replying to your comment on my blog, and your blog is a WOYWW compliant blog, its those that dont even have the word WOYWW or even have a desk or explanation of lack of a desk and dont link back to Julia's that is just riding on getting hits and visits that are a pain

ShazInOzCardsCalligraphy said...

ah some lovely memories there Maggie and so glad that you can get to wool and keep those fingers nimble - thanks for popping over and for missing me last week, was in Syd. at Drs. I am okay it is a chronic condition had since birth just need tabs on and has naturally led to other issues too which needed attention, but really the LORD is good and manage fairly well most days, thanks for caring thoguh!! really glad I started blogging to meet such folk as you, Shaz and Eileen, God bless, Shaz in oz.x

The Crafty Elf said...

Maggie your stockings are awesome! I loved the story about Father Christmas thanks for sharing it. My kids in their twenties still to this day love their stockings!!! We've had to adjust over the years as we were finding that fitting razors and blades and toothbrushes etc. added up so now we are back to just little things as you mentioned.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

For being # 1 this week, I'm awfully late visiting. I'm so sorry but, after a computer crash, I had to stop by and get a bit of inspiration from your crocheted stockings. Those granny squares are so universal. Love these.