Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Hugs of the woolly kind


Dearest fellow bloggers


Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for all your warm wishes and congratulations on my new job. You are all so very generous and warm about my posts and I really appreciate each and very comment, it still amazes me how people will want to read my blog. Thank you all so very much and now let me show you my finished mug-huggers I've made for Alice's year 6 teachers. This is the first year she has had a job-share of two part time teachers and we were a little concerned about continuity of care and teaching with this but it really has been a blessing and we now have two more important people in our little girl's lives. 


Alice loves school to say the least, she is a social butterfly and thrives on seeing her contemporaries but is also much to our delight a diligent learner and gets a kick out of achieving. Long may it last... oh no we have the dark tunnel of teenage years around the corner!


Anyhow, on with the crochet delights... 




We decided to buy a Lindt Father Christmas and some gold chocolate coins to pop in the mug and I love the way they are just peeping out. This crochet pattern is from Nicky Trench's book, Cute and Easy Crochet found here. I don't have a copy of this book but managed to borrow it from a friend and think it's a great little book with easy beginner through to more complicated, advanced crochet patterns in it.




I then got a piece of felt from my stash and embroidered attempted to embroider their names on the felted label. I like hand stitching, it's something I'd like to get good at and do more of really.




All in all i am happy with how they have turned out and it was fun getting Alice to choose a little ceramic hand-made button from my precious/slightly more expensive button stash. I hope they like them, it was a cheap but meaningful way to say thanks to both her teacher's for all they do for Alice. The mugs cost £1.00 in Next in the UK, not a shop I normally go into but little miss wanted a browse and I was happy to find these mugs. Wool was Debbie Bliss DK from my stash and chocs bought at the supermarket.



I don't know why but I quite like the look of this Santa and thought he deserved a photo of his own!

If you want some more mug hug inspiration pop over to Jacquie's super duper Bunny Mummy blog for more cheery mug hugging. I like that she has filled her mugs with pretty wrapped chocs xox Happiness is a cuppa and a chocolate treat.


Other than allowing my heart to skip an excited beat when  remember about my new job, I've been playing with creamy alpaca wool for Alice's finger-less gloves Christmas hand-made treat, felt flower playing and hemp twine which I was really pleased to find.


I've got 3 secret Santa's to buy/make for in the next week (2 work parties and one with friends), a blog Christmas swap to send and still need to get my skates on with my internet ordering....despite all of this I have been invited to a fun and funky Christmas floral display/DIY type of workshop this evening and am rally looking forward to it. I've decided to make a Christmas wreath for the first time this year and am hoping to get some inspiration.


I'll say cheerio with this photo I took of a wreath in Hastings Old town on the weekend... all i want for Christmas is a purple door for Christmas please :0)
See you all soon xox










  

11 comments:

  1. Snap - I've made 2 mug cozies with embroided labels for pressies for some friends this christmas - can't show them on my blog yet in case they peak in and see them - have also filled mine with chocolates :)

    Those gloves sound like they'll be super snuggly :)

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  2. i would be so chuffed to recieve one of those if i was a teacher!! x

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  3. Hi Penelope, CONGRATULATIONS on getting your dream job....such an amazing organisation....no wonder you are looking forward to this challenge.
    I love how your mug cozies turned out. Hand stitching is not my strong point...yours looks super.
    Jacquie x

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  4. I would LOVE a purple door too! Those mug cosies are a great idea for teachers, bet they are thrilled to bits when they get them. I think I'm going to give jars of homemade mincemeat this year x

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  5. What a lovely Christmassy post! I love those mugs for the teachers... I bet they will be really chuffed with them. My favourite thing of the whole post is the very sweet little thumb bit on the fingerless glove... :)x

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  6. Adorable!!!! Your embroidery is fantastic - I am soooooo jealous! Have a fabulous week.

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  7. Ditto on the purple door - never going to happen though, sadly. Hubby prefers underated colours - our door is Farrow and Ball French Grey - which is nice, but not fun.

    I had to embroider names on some Christmas stockings I sold and man was it tricky. You did good.

    BTW - maybe you know this already and have used it but just in case.....there's a heat-erasable pen from Frixion that I use to write or draw on fabric, then embroider, then when finished I pass over a warm iron and it erases the ink completely. I find it invaluable.

    This is the pen below - although I bought my one at Staples.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-Frixion-Erasable-Rollerball-Pen/dp/B000SHQKMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323247252&sr=8-1

    Also, I think I saw you and Alice at Aldi, day before yesterday, late afternoon, but didn't want to barge in and frighten you! Maybe it wasn't you and then I'd have looked completely mad. :)

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  8. I meant to say "understated' colours - not underated. Pffftf!

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  9. Wendz, I underrate my husband's colour choices too ;) And no way would he agree to a purple front door. We can all but dream!

    Loving the mug cosies, such a lovely blue too. And I can't wait to see what you do with those mitts. Lucky Alice :D

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  10. Where have I been....totally missed your last post, that is brilliant news, so, so pleased for you!

    Your mug cosies are great and the embroidery very good, far better than I could do. My oldest boy has two teachers on job share, he does seem to prefer one to the other, funnily enough the stricter one. It's so lovely when your kids enjoy their school experience. I loved school, my husband was miserable, so far both oldest boys are very happy which makes such a difference.

    The purple door is such a positive colour isn't it, I'm sure it must make the owners smile everyday.

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  11. I have the mug, I have the yarn but I haven't any time...aaah! I love your mug hugs, with the little labels, really cute!
    I would soo love a purple front door, it's lovely!
    Have a lovely weekend xxx

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